I used to say "I love Reflektor, but it could use some trimming"...and yet I never knew what I would actually cut. Looking back and being a little more critical I'd say: -Cut Normal Person (pretty sure @pageformusicchads ruined this song for me, ha) -Cut Joan of Arc -Cut You Already Know -Cut Flashbulb Eyes -Trim down Supersymmetry slightly That would get you down below an hour, which, yeah...still kind of long haha.
I'd probably ditch the entire first disc, beyond the title track and maybe "Here Comes the Night Time." Second half is better, but those songs are all about two minutes too long. 2013 was such a weird year, where every other major album was this overblown, overlong, unfocused mess.
Remember when they wanted everyone to wear suits for the Reflektor tour? I did that for the release show at this tiny warehouse in Brooklyn and it was miserable lmao.
Reflector is kind of where they lost me, but I’m in a different headspace now and I’ll revisit. The Suburbs is still my favorite.
Hard to think of a non-criminal band that fell off harder from my peak fandom to now - Funeral and Reflektor disc 2 are the only things that really still work for me. I was mostly satisfied with Neon Bible at the time, and it's definitely not bad, but 15 years on it feels kind of obvious like it's just a non-magic version of Funeral. Guessing it probably won't make my 06 or 07 list when we get to it. I think The Suburbs is like 70% terrible, I must have started so many arguments about it on ap.net because truly it might be the most overrated album in the history of music in my opinion. The bad stuff on Reflektor is pure shit, and Everything Now is just a dud. All that is to say my expectations don't exist for this but I'm open to being pleasantly surprised!
The Suburbs is absolutely way overrated but that take is way too hot for me lol. Only thing I'll agree is "terrible" is "Rococo" which is one of the most eyeroll inducing songs I've ever heard Neon Bible kicks ass and is very magical imo I was in on Reflektor so hard for like four months in 2013-14 and have listened to it maybe twice all the way through since haha EN is garbage
Entrance of the full band and the organ blasting in My Body Is A Cage >>>> most moments in the history of music
I think the first three are all legit classics that hold up extremely well. Reflektor is a big step down - I never listen to the full album, but I'll listen to a few songs here and there. I listened to EN maybe 3 times and have never gone back to it since.
I think my big issue with the suburbs is that it feels a little bit like a funeral parody to me. The orchestral stuff is more overblown, the lyrics are SO self important and preachy, it just feels like funeral threads a real needle between cheesy and awesome but it works because it’s so authentic and you could tell how hungry they were. Most of their post funeral stuff just falls on the wrong side of that line for me. the ep is awesome no doubt
I will also admit that there was a real trend in college of bands I loved letting my expectations wayyy down and I thought I knew everything as many do at 21ish so I’m sure that contributes to my feelings, I was definitely not going into repeat listens of the suburbs (or high violet, or bi, bi, etc) with the most mature attitude.