After the release of the catchy Arcade Fire single “Reflektor”, many fans eagerly awaited the full album. Reflektor was released on Oct. 28, bringing a new style that was not previously associated with the Canadian rock band.

Arcade Fire has been known for their indie style, defined by their distinctive instrumental violin and piano based sound. Reflektor is adding to their image by allowing the songs on the album to still have similar unique lyrics and rhythm style, but with a new-found electronic tone. This makes it much less acoustic than their previous albums.

The band had formerly experimented with this sound in their album The Suburbs, but it was only with a single song that goes by the name of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).” Creating a whole album with this style added a whole new angle to their career, bringing more variety to their repertoire.

Their new songs sound reminiscent of the alternative dance band LCD soundsystem. James Murphy, the frontman of  LCD soundsystem, co-produced Reflektor, along with producer Markus Dravs, who had produced Arcade Fire’s other albums. In the process of producing the album, Murphy’s style seemed to wear off on their songs.

His touch is evident in many of the intros, including brassy sounds which lead into a low tribal beat with light synth over the top, a LCD soundsystem-esque style. This added to the overall style of the album. A fan of both musicians will find that the combination of both styles create a new, entertaining sound.

Though the beat is a little more smooth and catchy, the lyrics have not lost the same Arcade Fire rhythm and style. The lyrics in Reflektor deal greatly with the concept of an afterlife.

“They say heaven’s a place/Yeah, heaven’s a place and they know where it is.” This line from “Here Comes The Night Time” is one of many in Reflektor with clear allusion to the theme of heaven and the afterlife. Though Arcade Fire leaves their lyrics open-ended enough for listeners to draw their own conclusions on meaning, this theme is evident throughout, found in multiple songs such as: “Afterlife”, “Reflektor” and “Here Comes the Night Time.”

One should not confuse this album’s new sound for loss of substance. Old fans will appreciate the familiar style of meaningful lyrics, and new listeners will be drawn into the first impression of the rhythm, overlay and beat.