LogFAQs > #954121318

223. Arcade Fire Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) (2010)
from the album The Suburbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awHWColYQ90

Key lyrics:
I need the darkness
Someone, please cut the lights

Upon release, Sprawl II was far from a standard Arcade Fire song this is one of those rare moments where an established band tries something new on a single track, and that experiment influences their sound from that moment on. And thats for better or worse; their two albums since The Suburbs never quite capture the magic of this first attempt. Sprawl II is a perfect fusion of Arcade Fires larger than life sound and disco influences, a glistening synthpop jam that truly captures an endless sprawl.

This is one of the few Arcade Fire tracks that features Rgine Chassagne on lead vocals, and to great effect. Though her gentle voice typically works better in contrast with Win Butlers sheer passion, this track casts her against the music itself. This is an epic piece that threatens to drown her out, positioning her perfectly to sing about the suffocating need to escape. Going over the lyrics, its easy to imagine Win Butler creating a sense of despair. Instead, Chassagne adds a sense of hope, by the end singing with the power of someone who will force her way out of this horrid isolation. Beyond that, the instrumentation is a sheer delight; the moment around the 2:40 mark is a highlight, the synths winding down like all is about to be lost, only for the song to slowly recover before Chassagne comes roaring back.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/