Afterlife Review

By Sean Keenan

Arcade Fire's latest track, Afterlife, from their brilliant indie-disco Reflecktor album is an excursion through the baroque pop and soaring vocals that have established Arcade Fire as the premier alternative band of the new millennium.

Evidenced by the songs video clip, Afterlife, like it's parent album, is flavoured by the colourful street music of Rara originating from Haiti. Yet this track would fit perfectly on a Florence and the Machine album, such is the diversity of the music.

Régine Chassagne vocals beautifully echo her husband Win Butler's melancholy fuelled lyrics where he asks 'when love is gone, where does it go?' and a relentlessly bouncy electronic riff drives the juxtaposition of the upbeat music with the mournful lyrics home.

At almost 6 minutes in length, Afterlife outstays it's welcome by a minute as the song meanders to a close. However, make no mistake about this anthemic masterpiece - it will have you slamming, jumping and dancing to one of the saddest songs that Arcade Fire have ever produced.