After blessing the world with the illustrious “Everything Now,” Arcade Fire returns with “Creature Comfort,” the second promo single from ‘Everything Now.’ 

Well, that didn’t take long.  Arcade Fire got the music world buzzing with their return after a four-year hiatus (Reflektor, 2013).  Dropping another dance-rock gem with “Everything Now,” the Canadian-based band follows up with “Creature Comfort,” the second single from their July 28 album, Everything Now.  Can “Creature Comfort” hang with the all-encompassing vibes of “Everything Now?”

“Creature Comfort” opens in electrifying fashion, with synths leading the charge.  Clearly, Arcade Fire remain in dance-rock mode – at least to a certain extent.  It isn’t all synth-action though – there’s some gritty guitar in the mix, not to mention the hard-hitting groove.  Yes, that groove still has the dancefloor in mind, but it still rocks.  Another interesting production feature are the piercing supporting vocals by Régine Chassagne on the chorus: “On and on I don’t know what I want.”

Moving beyond the sound, what’s the theme and concept of “Creature Comfort?” Suicide and how screwed up society is. On the first verse, Win Butler speaks about self-hatred – low self-esteem – a prevalent societal issue.

“Some boys hate themselves / Spend their lives resenting their fathers / Some girls hate their bodies / Stand in the mirror and wait for the feedback.”

Valid observations.  He goes on, from the perspective of the potential victims, sending one final prayer:

“God, make me famous / If you can’t just make it painless.”

Suicide arrives next, but perhaps more surprising is how Butler references the band’s potential role in preventing it:

“Assisted suicide…/ She told me she came so close / Filled up the bathtub and put on our first record.”

Later, assisted by Régine Chassagne once more, Butler continues to sing about girls and boys with low self-esteem who intentionally harm themselves.  Eventually, he begins to shift gears a bit, stating:

“Creature comfort makes it painless / Bury me penniless and nameless / Born in a diamond mine / It’s all around you but you can’t see it / Born in a diamond mine / It’s all around you but you can’t touch it.”

Like so many musicians in a time of political and social turmoil, Arcade Fire add fuel to the fire.  Another song comes to mind here from The National – “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness.”

Final Thoughts

So, how does “Creature Comfort” stack up? It’s another fantastic single from Arcade Fire without question. “Creature Comfort” has a lot going on to digest (look how long this track review is for proof), but it’s hard to deny the relevance of the messaging.  Everything Now should be a gem come July 28.

Arcade Fire • Everything Now • Columbia • Release: 7.28.17 

Photo Credit: Columbia