Reflektor
by Arcade Fire
  • Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: Oct 29, 2013
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 625 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 571 out of 625
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 625
  3. Negative: 13 out of 625
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  1. Thiago25
    May 6, 2022
    7
    Apesar de algumas das melhores composições da banda estarem aqui ('Afterlife' ou 'Reflektor'), o álbum peca pela duração excessiva, e pela falta de coesão temática. Tantas coisas sendo ditas ao mesmo tempo, tudo difuso demais. É uma pena, sinceramente.
  2. imthenoob
    Dec 25, 2021
    9
    This is definitely a slow burn to me. I wasn't much of a fan of it at first but over time, I have grown to really enjoy it as much as I have their previous 3 albums. The only reason I don't give it a 10/10 is that there are a couple of songs (Flashbulb Eyes, Supersymmetry) that I really didn't like.
  3. RedGreyBlue
    Aug 18, 2021
    8
    Experimental and *almost* done well. Quite good at giving me rapid emotions. When I was eight I would listen the hell out of the first disc which was ripped to my Xbox 360. When I discovered streaming I listened to the second half and was pleasantly surprised. The "live" performances feel quite odd, but for a sequel to 2010's Album of the Year it almost seems underrated for Arcade Fire standards.
  4. rjmacready
    Jul 25, 2021
    8
    A double album I'd definitely like more as a single album.

    Ah well. Still a lotta good stuff here, even if Arcade Fire left their most unique aspect (new wave music played with "folk-y" instrumentation) behind long ago.
  5. Mark-in-Midtown
    Dec 3, 2020
    10
    There have been many reviews of Reflektor that rate the album as incredible. There have been other reviews which say it's Arcade Fire's worst. After the first few spins, I completely concurred with the negative reviews. I was wondering how Arcade Fire could have slipped so much and was ready to give up, but I thought to myself how could such a mediocre album be getting so many amazingThere have been many reviews of Reflektor that rate the album as incredible. There have been other reviews which say it's Arcade Fire's worst. After the first few spins, I completely concurred with the negative reviews. I was wondering how Arcade Fire could have slipped so much and was ready to give up, but I thought to myself how could such a mediocre album be getting so many amazing reviews. So I decided to keep at it and gave it a few more spins. Then it started clicking. Reflektor really is a great album.… Expand
  6. Andremax
    Aug 20, 2018
    9
    Mixing Ramones, The Clash, Smiths, Bowie, Joy Division, Michael Jackson, Tears for Fears and Depeche Mode you got the most versatile Arcade Fire's album.
  7. Clint_Eastwood1
    Nov 20, 2017
    10
    Один из лучших рок альбомов выпущенных в 2010-х годах.Arcade Fire-это пример того,как группу не испортили различные награды и премии,а лишь наоборот раззадорили их.
  8. FrankDiaz
    Jul 2, 2017
    9
    Una vez mas Arcade Fire me sorprende con un disco que se disfruta de principio a fin. Esta banda conformada por talentosos musicos reflejan una vez mas lo apasionado que son haciendo musica. La produccion y las liricas son muy agradables al odio.
  9. alantheisen96
    Apr 7, 2017
    7
    Reflektor has without a doubt, some of my favorite Arcade Fire tracks that they have released to date. Unfortunately it also contains some of their most questionable.
  10. YT_Guyyy
    Mar 16, 2017
    8
    You want the long version or the short version? Short version is: It's good dance-rock. Get the album. Long version:
    Arcade Fire have gone with something different here, and it... kinda works. It does on most of the songs. Most of the songs are an 8-9, but then again songs like Flashbulb Eyes are there. It's not bad, it's just... not especially good.
    I like the dance-rock here, keep at    You want the long version or the short version? Short version is: It's good dance-rock. Get the album. Long version:
    Arcade Fire have gone with something different here, and it... kinda works. It does on most of the songs. Most of the songs are an 8-9, but then again songs like Flashbulb Eyes are there. It's not bad, it's just... not especially good.

    I like the dance-rock here, keep at it Arcade FIre.    … Expand
  11. Neilluj
    Mar 11, 2015
    9
    Il en a fait du chemin ce petit groupe de Montréal. En 2011 c’était plutôt Who the **** Is Arcade Fire? Que s’est-il passé depuis deux ans pour qu’Arcade Fire devienne un groupe majeur et planétaire ? En dépit de l’évolution fulgurante de la musique Indie, le groupe montréalais s’est démarqué en continuant d’œuvrer sur la scène underground en plus d’utiliser sa notoriété pour mener à termeIl en a fait du chemin ce petit groupe de Montréal. En 2011 c’était plutôt Who the **** Is Arcade Fire? Que s’est-il passé depuis deux ans pour qu’Arcade Fire devienne un groupe majeur et planétaire ? En dépit de l’évolution fulgurante de la musique Indie, le groupe montréalais s’est démarqué en continuant d’œuvrer sur la scène underground en plus d’utiliser sa notoriété pour mener à terme des projets spécifiques et typiquement AF. Les clips interactifs, les courts-métrages et autres spectacles secrets font maintenant partie intégrante du projet. Cela ne constitue cependant pas une place au top du palmarès. L’engouement qui a découlé du méga projet marketing derrière l’album a servi l’album dans le sens ou même avant sa sortie, c’était déjà une entité solide et distincte. Mieux encore, l’album nous a été présenté comme un véritable évènement. Sa diffusion en simultané sur Youtube, en plus d’avoir contrecarré à court terme les fuites sur internet, a permis au monde entier de profiter de l’album en même temps. Un tour de force si nous prenons en considérations le rythme incessant du 21e siècle. Ils, pour reprendre les mots d’un chroniqueur, nous ont offert un moment. C’est vrai. Impossible de ne pas parler de l’album en tant que tel. Contrairement aux autres œuvres présentées dans ce top 10, pas besoin d’une douzaine d’écoutes pour apprécier la nouvelle direction empruntée par le groupe. Réparti sur deux albums, Reflektor offre deux types d’états d’âme. Le premier, plus confortable et enivrant alors que le deuxième est plus pointu et revendicateur. La touche de James Murphy est à la fois omniprésente mais discrète. Il m’apparait évident qu’il a servi l’authenticité du nouveau son d’Arcade Fire plus que les compositions en général. Reflektor est un produit dérivé des réalités qu’avait à offrir l’année 2013. Il faut croire qu’Arcade Fire était vraiment pile dans le temps.… Expand
  12. moslegend34
    Dec 4, 2014
    8
    A brave move. The couple have a great harmony especially in 'Orpheus.' The album doesn't quite stack up to the live performance (Big Day Out 2014) nonetheless this is a fine album that deserves repeat listenings. 'Porno' and 'Normal Person' are made particularly edgy by the lyrics and consistent verses while Reflektor, the signature hit of the two discs, hints at self reflection as well asA brave move. The couple have a great harmony especially in 'Orpheus.' The album doesn't quite stack up to the live performance (Big Day Out 2014) nonetheless this is a fine album that deserves repeat listenings. 'Porno' and 'Normal Person' are made particularly edgy by the lyrics and consistent verses while Reflektor, the signature hit of the two discs, hints at self reflection as well as a father-son relationship analysis.
    Not all of the album is top notch: 'Eurydice' and 'Joan of Arc' appear laboured while 'Supersymetry' can be politely classified as a filler song -not the glittering conclusion that the band might've intended. Overall; not quite Neon Bible, but an original effort from increasingly eclectic group of artists.    … Expand
  13. RiverPlate
    Oct 24, 2014
    5
    i would much like to know how many times did you hear this album compared with the previous ones, is not a bad album, is Arcade Fire so it cant be bad but i can only grasp 3 songs to keep it on play-list along with almost every song of past albums.
  14. Ricko
    Aug 27, 2014
    8
    Being an Arcade Fire album is never easy and ever since their debut expectations are always massive whenever this band do anything. Stylistic changes were hinted at during the making of "Reflektor" and while there is a noticeably more dancy feel to this album, this is mainly down to James Murphy's presence who really only provides a light cover over what is essentially an instantlyBeing an Arcade Fire album is never easy and ever since their debut expectations are always massive whenever this band do anything. Stylistic changes were hinted at during the making of "Reflektor" and while there is a noticeably more dancy feel to this album, this is mainly down to James Murphy's presence who really only provides a light cover over what is essentially an instantly recognisable Arcade Fire sound. "Reflektor" strikes a balance between experimentation and crowd pleasing and achieves pretty much everything that the band would have looked for from the record. One criticism I had of last album "The Suburbs" was that it was too long by 2 or 3 tracks but in reality the length of the record wasn't the problem it was that the quality dropped a little on a couple of the 16 tracks. "Reflektor" is similar in overall length and with 13 tracks overall has no weak track however I do think the band could have edited the album so that it would have easily fitted on one disk without any detriment to the listening experience. Overall, "Reflektor" is a triumph and stands up well next to Arcade Fire's back catalog.… Expand
  15. godwinkent888
    May 28, 2014
    7
    It quite lacks the depth that made the first three AF albums quite memorable and the music is changing here, but the change is good. AF is one of the best bands in the world. :))))))))))
  16. vern
    May 27, 2014
    6
    While Reflektor may be their most ambitious work yet, Arcade Fire seem to have a lost a little something since The Suburbs. Throughout Reflektor, they seem to be grasping for too many genres and themes (love, the Internet age, death, sexual identity), and as a result the album doesn't quite come together as a cohesive whole. With Funeral and the Suburbs, they stayed focused on specificWhile Reflektor may be their most ambitious work yet, Arcade Fire seem to have a lost a little something since The Suburbs. Throughout Reflektor, they seem to be grasping for too many genres and themes (love, the Internet age, death, sexual identity), and as a result the album doesn't quite come together as a cohesive whole. With Funeral and the Suburbs, they stayed focused on specific themes and carefully expanded upon them, and those albums benefited greatly from that.

    On the bright side, there are standout moments within Reflektor where they absolutely nail it (Reflektor, Afterlife, and a few others). But there is definitely quite a bit of filler here in comparison to their past works.    … Expand
  17. TheEverydayMan
    May 15, 2014
    7
    Musically, Reflektor may be AF's most diverse album to date, full of unpredictable twists and turns that keep you hooked even when the songs themselves start to lag. However, as good as AF are, the benefits do not outweigh the one glaring problem beneath this album: the lack of focus, of harmony. Every other AF album works like a story, with every song tying in to one concentric goal. OnMusically, Reflektor may be AF's most diverse album to date, full of unpredictable twists and turns that keep you hooked even when the songs themselves start to lag. However, as good as AF are, the benefits do not outweigh the one glaring problem beneath this album: the lack of focus, of harmony. Every other AF album works like a story, with every song tying in to one concentric goal. On Reflektor, it seems at times that AF are trying to do that, but it's never clear if this is supposed to be Haitian music or "Rock 'n roll" or whether its theme is concerned with social isolation or break-ups or ranting against Western missionaries. The lyrics are clunky and witless, a huge disappointment considering how much emotion and heart was put into The Suburbs. It's not a bad album, but the lack of focus makes it feel schizophrenic at cluttered.… Expand
  18. MrWhiteBrBa
    May 9, 2014
    9
    Personally Arcade Fire keeps on hitting these notes and lyrics and it shows with yet another beautiful album possibly one of the best of the year. Reflektor the titled track is a great way to use David Bowie's talents to turn into one of the best songs of 2013, Afterlife and Supersymmetry are stand out tracks to yet another glorious Arcade Fire album.
  19. Matielli
    Apr 16, 2014
    8
    ''Reflektor'' é o mais novo album da banda canadense Arcade Fire e mesmo sendo o último, é um dos melhores discos que a banda ja produziu. O album mostra um Arcade Fire diferente do album antecessor, ''The Suburbs'', mas consegue ser tão bom quanto ele, afinal estamos falando de uma das melhores bandas atuais. Não há muito o que falar sobre esse album e suas caracteristicas a nao ser dizer''Reflektor'' é o mais novo album da banda canadense Arcade Fire e mesmo sendo o último, é um dos melhores discos que a banda ja produziu. O album mostra um Arcade Fire diferente do album antecessor, ''The Suburbs'', mas consegue ser tão bom quanto ele, afinal estamos falando de uma das melhores bandas atuais. Não há muito o que falar sobre esse album e suas caracteristicas a nao ser dizer que ele é incrível e traz boas sensações e sentimentos para quem o escuta mostrando ser uma grande obra de arte de 2013.… Expand
  20. philosophorse
    Apr 15, 2014
    8
    Simply sounds like some kind of greatest hits compilation. Reflektor's title track is overly long, and waiting for it to finish will be a true achievement. But after that massive mistake, you won't regret staying the night for more Arcade Fire.
  21. jotaeseche
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    The thing I love the most about singers or bands is the feel and/or need of changing and evolving. That's what Arcade Fire did with this tremendous album: express things through other perspectives, other instruments, other rhythms. Take a risk may mean a fall-down; or a superb acclaim: and we all know how it turned out for these canadians! This band made everything so perfect andThe thing I love the most about singers or bands is the feel and/or need of changing and evolving. That's what Arcade Fire did with this tremendous album: express things through other perspectives, other instruments, other rhythms. Take a risk may mean a fall-down; or a superb acclaim: and we all know how it turned out for these canadians! This band made everything so perfect and peacefully harmonic, that the music just speaks for itself, and loving this double-original-album is (in my opinion) not a choice. Is an obligation.… Expand
  22. z3r0_
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    This multi layered album is the most daring and bold endeavor from the Montreal based band. Arcade fire has known how to change their ways and to dare even higher with every upcoming album. Today, as one of the greatest bands in the world, they still sing and play as if they started doing so 3 months earlier, but, in a good fashion. Reflektor is a complex trip through music itself and theThis multi layered album is the most daring and bold endeavor from the Montreal based band. Arcade fire has known how to change their ways and to dare even higher with every upcoming album. Today, as one of the greatest bands in the world, they still sing and play as if they started doing so 3 months earlier, but, in a good fashion. Reflektor is a complex trip through music itself and the way it influences our everyday lives. Murphy can be found constantly in almost all the tracks, from the ground breaking Reflektor, to the sublte Supersymmetry and finishing in the love duo of Orpheus and Eurydice. The album will remain as something refreshingly new in the stale, and repetitive environment as today's music industry is. A fine piece of art!… Expand
  23. RedOwlReviews
    Feb 21, 2014
    9
    I believe it's safe to say that Arcade Fire knocked everyone off their feet, for good or for bad, with "Reflektor." While some may describe it as dreamy and ethereal, I would go even further and describe the experience as being trapped in a dream, eternally twisting and turning in a unique ethos that is both distant and hauntingly internal. "Reflektor" radiates with artistic brillianceI believe it's safe to say that Arcade Fire knocked everyone off their feet, for good or for bad, with "Reflektor." While some may describe it as dreamy and ethereal, I would go even further and describe the experience as being trapped in a dream, eternally twisting and turning in a unique ethos that is both distant and hauntingly internal. "Reflektor" radiates with artistic brilliance and a vision that borders choreographed physicality and delirious abstraction. Arcade Fire seamlessly incorporate danceable percussion, soft rock stylings and delicate electronic touches to create a transcendental musical experience. They cover a wide range of themes in their lyrics, including Greek mythology, existentialism, the afterlife, and simply having a good time, and they're all relevant – no filler lyrics. With "Reflektor," Arcade Fire have proven that, no matter what direction they take, they will always have pure mastery over their medium.

    FINAL SCORE: 95 (almost perfect ----------o---------- perfect)    … Expand
  24. Biffbiff1
    Feb 18, 2014
    9
    The best 80's homage album I've ever heard... Favorites: Disk 1 track 1 Reflektor- David Bowie. Track 3 Flashbulb Eyes- the clash. Track 4 Here Comes the Night- Madness. Track 5- INXS mashup with Robert Palmer. Disk 2 Track 4- New Order. Track 5- Pink Floyd specifically "Learning to Fly 1888 or 89. Elements of Blondie, The cure, U2, Howard Jones, OMD... Only disappointments No DEVO, orThe best 80's homage album I've ever heard... Favorites: Disk 1 track 1 Reflektor- David Bowie. Track 3 Flashbulb Eyes- the clash. Track 4 Here Comes the Night- Madness. Track 5- INXS mashup with Robert Palmer. Disk 2 Track 4- New Order. Track 5- Pink Floyd specifically "Learning to Fly 1888 or 89. Elements of Blondie, The cure, U2, Howard Jones, OMD... Only disappointments No DEVO, or Duran Duran that I could spot.… Expand
  25. TheMaximalist
    Feb 15, 2014
    9
    http://bit.ly/NOJ7H1 Arcade Fire have easily, delivered one of the most ambitious and interesting records of the year. The songwriting and performance skills we have come to expect from the band are better than ever. While some of the songs running times are unnecessarily long it doesn't detract too much from this quality release from this quality band.
  26. DennisFuller
    Feb 2, 2014
    8
    To open an album with a 7 and a half minute track would be akin to writing a
    book with a 100 page first chapter. An ambitious move by the Canadian (Montreal)
    sextet on their fourth LP entitled “Reflektor”. They are, however, not new to breaking the norm, being as the founding member and lead singer Win Butler attended art school at McGill University in Montreal, where the band also    To open an album with a 7 and a half minute track would be akin to writing a
    book with a 100 page first chapter. An ambitious move by the Canadian (Montreal)
    sextet on their fourth LP entitled “Reflektor”. They are, however, not new to
    breaking the norm, being as the founding member and lead singer Win Butler
    attended art school at McGill University in Montreal, where the band also calls
    home. The title track “Reflektor” calls for near duet-like harmonies between Butler
    and the bands female singer, Regine Chassagne, whom happen to be happily
    married as well. Their ability to blend their voices and harmonize so well together
    is a testament to their musicality and theat they’ve been together over 10 years as a band.. The rest of the band offers the rest of the instrumentation up, which without there would be no “Reflektor” at all. Multi-instrumentalists Will Butler (Win’s little brother), Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and percussionist Jeremy Gara offer up the rest of the sounds created on this record. With the addition of the beautiful, yet-sparse (compared to previous albums) string arrangements by Owen Pallett, the
    soundscapes of the double-album of 13 tracks create a sonic landscape for one to
    dance, daydream, experience love, and tragedy. The tear jerking strings on “awful Sound” alone are worth every penny spent on the entire album. Word to the long time fans of The Arcade Fire: don’t expect the run of the mill, traditional Arcade Fire album we are all used to and love. The band is breaking new ground, instead of recreating their Grammy Album of the Year winning album “The Suburbs”, taking cues from their arena-rock predecessors U2 in the song “Afterlife”, Nirvana in the grunge-tinged “Normal Person”, and LCD Soundsystem with “It’s Never Over” & “We Exist”. The latter 2 songs display the heavy influence from LCD Soundsystem’s front man James Murphy, and his production credits on 11 of the 13 tracks on the album. The album runs a tad bit long, a whopping 75 minutes to be exact, but is a must have for any long time fan of Arcade Fire, or any fan of arena-style indie rock with a touch of dance to it.    … Expand
  27. barrykester
    Jan 6, 2014
    10
    The criticism that this album is disco, has clearly not listened to the whole album nor knows what disco really is. This album is significantly more diverse, dynamic and layered than any of their previous efforts and as a result, some critics and long term fans are having a difficult time with the change. In my opinion, the change has resulted in a magnificent opus. The double album isThe criticism that this album is disco, has clearly not listened to the whole album nor knows what disco really is. This album is significantly more diverse, dynamic and layered than any of their previous efforts and as a result, some critics and long term fans are having a difficult time with the change. In my opinion, the change has resulted in a magnificent opus. The double album is the perfect length and the delineation between the two albums with the old school cassette flip tape indicator made me smile. Great piece of work.… Expand
  28. XavierBlaq
    Dec 30, 2013
    10
    A sonic overload of everything Arcade Fire stands for, with some new electronics to boot, Reflektor is an album of incredibly deep meaning and tracks that reach as close to perfection as humanly possible. Personally, I find the way they have incorporated dance beats and the story of Orpheus into their typical message of isolation is such genius that comparison to their past albums does notA sonic overload of everything Arcade Fire stands for, with some new electronics to boot, Reflektor is an album of incredibly deep meaning and tracks that reach as close to perfection as humanly possible. Personally, I find the way they have incorporated dance beats and the story of Orpheus into their typical message of isolation is such genius that comparison to their past albums does not seem fair to those albums. The only weakness the album could possibly have is its length, but the ease at which the tracks travel makes even the eleven minute Supersymmetry seem to fly by at the pace of a song a third of its length. No doubt, even among the masterpieces that liter Arcade Fire's existence, this is the best thing they have ever done.… Expand
  29. SteveBackMeta
    Dec 29, 2013
    8
    8.5/10. I was fearing the worst before hearing anything off this album. But I love it. Unexpectedly, it actually has some of Arcade Fire's finest moments, like the throbbing pulse of "It's Never Over" and the majestic pop of "Afterlife". The rockist "Normal Person" builds up to a satisfying crescendo, and the closing track "Supersymmetry" lulls beautifully before going on a bit too long8.5/10. I was fearing the worst before hearing anything off this album. But I love it. Unexpectedly, it actually has some of Arcade Fire's finest moments, like the throbbing pulse of "It's Never Over" and the majestic pop of "Afterlife". The rockist "Normal Person" builds up to a satisfying crescendo, and the closing track "Supersymmetry" lulls beautifully before going on a bit too long with the tape hiss afterwards.… Expand
  30. rockiesmagicnum
    Dec 20, 2013
    7
    I've never been a huge Arcade Fire fan. I've tried to enjoy "Neon Bible" and "Funeral", but they just didn't do it for me.

    When everybody and their cousin recommended that I listen to "The Suburbs" back in 2011, and I discovered one of the better sounding and produced albums I've heard in the past 5 years. It was a breath of fresh air amid all of the skinny jean angst flooding the    I've never been a huge Arcade Fire fan. I've tried to enjoy "Neon Bible" and "Funeral", but they just didn't do it for me.

    When everybody and their cousin recommended that I listen to "The Suburbs" back in 2011, and I discovered one of the better sounding and produced albums I've heard in the past 5 years. It was a breath of fresh air amid all of the skinny jean angst flooding the market, despite having its own sense of fashionable disquiet. It's an unapologetic reflection on life inside of a bubble, the voice of a generation who grew up in the nuclear American Dream with the White Picket Fence, but finding themselves unsatisfied with the hard plastic life and preferring to experience life in the unsterilized city. I personally HATE drawing too much personal meaning from any musician's words, but "The Suburbs" seemed to flow so naturally off of frontman Win Butler's tongue that it was hard not to relate to what sounded like a very honest reflection of a young life.

    That all said, it was hard not to get excited about "Reflektor". Granted, it's a high hurdle to leap to follow up an Album of the Year Grammy winner, but I was optimistic.

    And then disappointed.

    "Reflektor", to quickly sum, just smacked of overexertion and an attempt to recreate "The Suburbs". In essence, they tried WAY too hard.

    Arcade Fire’s musical strength still shine through, including instrumentals, vocals, and the synth tones added here and there. They maintain the upbeat tempo of "The Suburbs", but turn the mood of the tracks to a bit more morose, perhaps darker on some tracks. As per always, they do a fine job of flexing their musical versatility. Win doesn't shy away from his short-of-breath vocal stylings which is a major characteristic of Arcade Fire's general sound there’s no question that this is an Arcade Fire album. They don’t depart too far from their characteristic sound, and I’d argue still own it more than other bands of a comparable genre.

    The lyrics, song titles, and production choices are the downfall for this album in my mind. While their previous release did strongly incorporate the song title in the lyrics to establish the topic/theme of the song, they managed to do it tastefully. The songs grew and developed organically and THEN revealed the title as a lyric. In "Reflektor", however, the band beats the listener over the head with the title of the song, using it repetitively as a way to fill a musical interlude with vocals ("Reflektor", "Here Comes the Night Time") or as an overly punctuated focal point of the chorus ("Joan of Arc") (“It’s Never Over (Hey Orpheus)” seems to fall into both categories). Some of the tracks had me nearly cringing in anticipation of how they would shoehorn the title into the choruses.

    What really gets me is like I said above: they tried REALLY hard to make "Reflektor" "The Suburbs II: Reflektor" and just borrowed too much from their previous success. I'm likely reading too much into it, but I get the vibe of "You liked 'The Suburbs', right? Well, you HAVE to like ‘Reflektor’!" from this album.

    It isn't a BAD album by any stretch. You can listen through “Reflektor” reel to reel and not feel the explicit need to change tracks or turn the album off. It's a good listen, and I’d recommend buying it at a sale price. There’s certainly something to be said for giving the fans what they want (and Lord knows I wanted more of The Suburbs), but given its predecessor's accomplishments, "Reflektor" left me wanting for more.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed Album of 2013
29
#29 Most Shared Album of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 48
  3. Negative: 0 out of 48
  1. Magnet
    Dec 18, 2013
    90
    The double-disc, dual volume album that results is one that finds the Canadian seven-piece sounding liberated, from stylistic and budgetary constraints both. [No. 105, p.52]
  2. Record Collector
    Dec 16, 2013
    80
    As it stands, Reflektor is Arcade Fire’s most diverse and sonically interesting work to date.
    Read full review
  3. Austin Chronicle
    Nov 21, 2013
    67
    As a whole, there are throwaway tracks ("Porno") and overstayed welcomes (ambiguous anthem "We Exist"), Butler playing roulette with themes: the pains of indie rock ("Normal Person"), star-crossed Greek mythology ("Awful Sound [Oh Eurydice]," "It's Never Over [Oh Orpheus]"), and existential despair ("Afterlife").
    Read full review
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