An album for the postmodern world
In their sixth studio album, Arcade Fire has decided to highlight the age of the pandemic. No stranger to the ideas of loneliness, fear, depression and death, Arcade Fire takes their previous projects and matures their vision. In a bitter tribute to the current circumstances of the United States, there is beauty in knowing that there is space to grieve. In its hopelessness, Arcade Fire has created a record that is intrinsically linked to the era. WE fits perfectly into the zeitgeist that is perpetuating in rock music as a result of the ongoing global crises.
“Age of Anxiety I” is a more pared-down, thoughtful tribute to the postmodern world. With lyrics touching on social media, addiction and depression, the opening track of WE is as lonely as Arcade Fire has been. In the age of the pandemic, the group tries to portray overstimulation in its key changes. With a faster tempo and synth in the refrain, it seems as if there is a perpetual movement that one is unable to escape. It berates and tears down the lethargic beginning. In a world riddled with catastrophe, this song tries to make sense of it.
“Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)” delves more into the synth-wave sound, with its space-age elements sounding as ethereal as ever. In contrast with the song’s lyrics, the instrumentals create a descent into paranoia. The paradox of wanting to escape only ends up with endless iterations reflected in the instrumental loop that pervades throughout the song, almost as if it is a heartbeat. There is a remarkable texture to the opening songs, as they expand on one another’s meaning. In both its quiet and explosive moments, the revelations are immense.
The lyricism of “End of The Empire I-III” stands out among the rest of the album. Every story intertwines with one another, imagining the end of the United States. Taking up a point of view from the future, the singer weaves tales of inevitable endings. It is a painful, yet visionary work. In its sorrowful moments, there is still some dangerous hope of finding a way out. It is humane in its portrayal of fear and dying, something that most people have come directly in the face of during the pandemic.
“The Lightning II” represents a pivotal point in the record. Taking the frustrations of the unknown there is a strength in its performance. With more upbeat basslines, there is an almost confrontation of the fears that have inhabited previous parts of the record in a way that still fits into the album’s themes. Despite its drastic difference from the opening songs, there are no notes that feel displaced.
A touching tribute to Win Butler and Regine Chassagne’s son, “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” takes the anxieties and holds place for them while acknowledging that they will love him despite all of the evil that perpetuates. In a way, the song’s nature unites it more. Many can see how love has the power to transcend these boundaries that we build for ourselves. Inherently, the track is a way to show the possibilities to exist and transcend beyond the world.
Arcade Fire chooses the titular track “WE” to fittingly conclude the album. As Win Butler stated in an interview with Apple Music, the song aims to show how when the speaker can dive into the hopeless black hole for himself. Butler realizes the power of all the emotions that he had felt in a simplistic and beautiful conclusion. With every moment of the acoustic guitar, there is a sense of intimacy beyond the hopelessness. In all of the decay of the world, there is still meaning. And perhaps now, more than ever, these songs are needed to show that life will go on. “We” will be able to find meaning in life.
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