"Neon Bible".

The Arcade Fire are back at it with "Neon Bible". Their first full-length release, "Funeral", was highly regarded by just about everyone, but among my "music buddies" I am a bit infamous for not appreciating it on the same level as everyone else does. This is not to say I don't like it - I think it's a great album. But that's the thing - I think it's a "great" album, whereas in my "King of Hyperbole" fashion I usually think something is AMAZING or INSANE. I have actually come to appreciate "Funeral" more since obtaining "Neon Bible," but this is about NB, so...

"Neon Bible" is fantastic and grows on me more with each listen. It's an album of fairly gloomy atmospherics - hence the often-stated "post-apocalyptic" comments by critics. As I type this, the sky is grey and rain is falling, and it couldn't be more appropriate. "Neon Bible" is a rich, layered experience where you appreciate the nuances of the songs more with each listen. Upon first listen, I liked the first handful of songs so much that I grew accustomed to them before even getting to the latter half of the album, but now, a handful of listens later, I've become a bit fixated on the latter half of the album, which I think is the stronger half. "Ocean of Noise" is my song of the year thus far, featuring a finale that should make Sigur Ros proud. "(Antichrist Television Blues)" has a fantastic sense of urgency about it which is matched with the perfect ending.

One more thing - crank it up. Arcade Fire are supposedly known for their live shows (I have yet to verify this but hope to at some point) and I can see why. Try this at home, kids!