That recent sound of a million voices crying out in celebration was the fact Arcade Fire are back… and we don’t just mean back, we mean really back. With the best will in the world Arcade Fire’s last album misfired, with an arch PR campaign that didn’t land and songs that sounded cold. The good news is with comeback songs The Lightning I and II, they have returned in part to their old sound. There is no bad news.
The Lightning I and II have appeared on streaming services as two separate tracks, but you absolutely have to play them in I and II order as they run into each other. The first is quieter, before launching into a grand standing work out, and we can just imagine how glorious this is going to be in a live venue with thousands of other people. Sonically, it’s like middle period Arcade Fire merging with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, in the best way possible. It’s warm, it’s fun, it’s full of life.
While the video isn’t really that important to the existence of the song, it’s nice to see it free of concepts and back to just whacking out a joyous live performance, which is what the band have always been best at.
All in all, a triumphant return that bodes well for the album.
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