Arcade Fire: Reflektor

On paper it reads like a dream: one of the world's biggest indie bands being produced by one of the world's hippest musicians (that's James Murphy, ex-LCD Soundsystem). Win Butler & co had arguably hitherto painted themselves into a corner, but on their fourth album the experimental rhythms and glitterball ambience of It's Never Over and the calypso-infused Here Comes the Night Time provide a launchpad for a more propulsive overall sound. That said, the Canadian sextet remain anchored to their rock roots on the jangly strut of You Already Know, and their propensity for the epic refrain remains intact on Awful Sound (Oh, Eurydice). While undoubtedly ambitious, Arcade Fire's collaboration with Murphy isn't quite the life-changing meeting of minds one might expect. Still, it's an enjoyable, if unnecessarily overlong, progression. arcadefire.com
Download: Here Comes the Night Time, You Already Know