Oh the sophomore CD. How it can break a band! The pressure to not only repeat but better the first effort is just plain scary stuff. Especially when you're from Canada, and you win a few album and track of the year awards, and start opening for U2, and basically steal everyone's attention from Portland and Austin or wherever we make good music and put it way up in Canada. So scary that it's taken indie favorite The Arcade Fire over 2 years to reproduce. And all indications are that it's been worth the wait.
"Intervention" features one hell-of-a church organ, rumored to emit such magnificent textured sound as to bring tears to the eyes of crybaby frontman Win Butler himself during recording. This church organ, the real base of the song, doesn't slowly meander around hymnal-paced chords; instead it moves through progressions like an axe wielded by the Boss himself! How Springsteen is this song? The Arcade Fire do list Brucey in their myspace page as one of 3 important-enough-to-list-on-my-myspace-page influences, and he's evidently the one pulling the most weight on this track.
"Intervention" gives us war, religion, community charm, and community escape and everything else that we want to hear all over again on this album. After this one it's hard to imagine that the Arcade Fire's sophomore effort will disappoint. Here via Gorilla vs. Bear via Said the Gramophone via BBC Radio
Article comments
1 - revnerd
I can't believe the angst this song creates in me. I am a 50 year old post modern member of the clergy who is watching the world change, modernity die and I feel like I have nothing to offer anymore. Then I hear this song. When can the Kingdom of God ever heal the brokenhearted? How can I be the incarnation in a real loving way?
Thanks for the song. Thanks for making me think.
2 - Bill
Great song, very emotional, but as much as I enjoy it, I can't help thinking that it is sentimentially manipulative without susbstance. What the heck is it about? The lyrics are too obscure. If it were a Springsteen song, there would be a story.
As powerful as the music is, it should clearly be ABOUT something, otherwise it is just on the level of a bad movie soundtrack - you know the sort where the violins well up when they want you to feel moved.
If someone can tell me what the lyrics are about, please post.