"Reflektor," Arcade Fire's fourth album, has been hugely hyped—and while it's not an instant classic, it satisfies. Over the course of its 80 minutes, “Reflektor” demonstrates Arcade Fire’s ability to provide something both unexpected and rewarding. The title track gives listeners what they would have expected from a James Murphy–produced, Haitian–influenced album: Caribbean rhythms and a stomping bassline. But each subsequent song works to subvert those expectations, mostly with success. “Here Comes the Night Time” rapidly zigzags between modern and traditional influences before finally breaking into a cacophonous climax that elegantly blends the two. Penultimate track “Afterlife” works as a life–affirming anthem, rich with Caribbean drumming and skittering synths. But all these varied ideas are collected under frontman Win Butler’s breathy lyrics that give a modern, sensitive twist to the legend of Orpheus. While the album’s first half is a little listless and unfocused, “Reflektor” is still another triumph that brings together numerous concepts with great success.
Grade: A–
Download: “Afterlife”
Sounds best when: You crave celebratory dance music that deviates from bland EDM fare.
