When it was leaked that David Bowie would appear on Arcade Fire's new single, everyone was more than just a bit excited. As it happens Bowie's role is only very minor on Arcade Fire's new single, it does not detract from the magnificence of Win Butler and his band's masterpiece and at 7.42 minutes long, Reflektor is easily Arcade Fire's longest single.
At first listen, Reflektor sounds more LCD Soundsystem than Arcade Fire, thanks to the recruitment of James Murphy as a producer and the rejection of the once prominent 'epic' Arcade Fire sound. As well as that the club beat and the male-female harmonies in the chorus make Reflektor very different from not only 2010's "The Suburbs", but anything. Reflektor is dissimilar from anything in recent musical history.
With Reflektor, Arcade Fire are moving away from the sound that made them one of the greatest bands in the world; a brave brave move. And what better way to announce a change in sound than with an eight minute long single? The very release of the Reflektor single, and the Reflektor promotional campaign shows they aren't phased by their critics.
The song itself features a dance-y four to the floor drum beat, and the male female vocal combination of Butler and his French-singing wife, Régine Chassagne, adding to the character of the hit. The lyrics too are somewhat ear-catching, sounding somewhat alone but together. Win Butler's talent is clearly "reflekted" through this particular medium.
With the next Arcade Fire album being along in less than two months, this mysterious, enticing yet all the more exciting single leaves fans and critics alike starving for the more, as Reflektor (the album) is shaping up to be a much more exciting affair than any other album released this year.
Rating: 9.5/10
Out: Now, Reflektor (album) is released on October 28th.
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