See Arcade Fire Revive Glossy New Wave in ‘Creature Comfort’ Video
Arcade Fire don gleaming silver suits in the clip for their thumping New Wave cut “Creature Comfort.” The track will appear on the band’s Everything Now album on July 28th.
“Creature Comfort” nods to both shiny sounds from the early 1980s (the Human League’s “Seconds”) and steamrolling electro-pop from the 2000s (The Knife’s “Heartbeats”). Underneath the curtain of synthesizers, ringing power chords, pulverizing drums and cheerfully shouted backing vocals, lead singer Win Butler tells a grim tale about cultural pressures that lead men and women to hate themselves. “We’re the bones under your feet/ The white lie of American prosperity,” he sings. “We wanna dance but we can’t feel the beat/ I’m a liar, don’t doubt my sincerity.”
The snazzy silver outfits are the most exciting part of the “Creature Comfort” video. The camera sits at hip-height and never moves as Arcade Fire play in a nondescript room. A strobe light flashes on and off to heighten a sense of urgency.
When it came time to start working on Everything Now, Arcade Fire re-united with Markus Dravs, who helped produce their last three albums. They also brought in Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter and former Pulp bassist Steve Mackey to contribute to the record. “Creature Comfort” came together with additional help from Portishead’s Geoff Barrow.
Everything Now is Arcade Fire’s first album in four years, and listeners appear to be hungry for the band’s return: the LP’s title track debuted at No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart, marking a new personal best for Win Butler and company.