Arcade Fire present Reflektor at the Roundhouse

With their latest release, Arcade Fire proved that even the most inventive bands can sometimes drop the ball and produce a disappointing record – and it’s unfortunate that fans endured a three-year wait to hear it.

The real question is: how will it sound live? The Canadian indie rockers are renowned for their dynamic live shows, complete with violins, horns and frequent instrument swapping – from drums to guitar, guitar to bass, bass to piano, and so on

The Roundhouse double concerts are exactly what their London fans have been dreaming of: a beautiful, artistic venue perfectly suited for their favourite act. And the audience have been told to dress up, “it’s going to be a special evening”. The dress code complements the 1970s disco themed set, complete with kaleidoscopic lights and an enormous mirror ball

The evening kicks off with Reflektor, the song that defines the band’s latest sound and captures the essence of their new direction. Arcade Fire are not known for chart-topping singles, they’re an album band at heart. However, this single represents their effort to go bigger without sounding louder. Its reception is lukewarm at best, and the follow-up, Flashbulb Eyes, gets an even less enthusiastic response

The energy picks up with Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out), sparking plenty of jumping, the seated crowd standing up to dance. However, the magic fades away with the raunchy Joan d’Arc, and only makes a timid, fleeting return during the finale of It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus) and the simply lovely Afterlife.

One track does seem to hold its own against their past hits, both live and on record: Normal Person. Yet, the atmosphere calms down once again with a cover of The Clash’s I’m So Bored with the USA and Here Comes the Night Time.

A brief encore revives the concert atmosphere with Régine Chassagne singing the brilliant Sprawl II from the Grammy Award-winning, third album The Suburbs. But the set-closer Supersymmetry quickly dampens the excitement again.

It’s frustrating when a band has all the weapons to deliver an incredible show but doesn’t use them. Arcade Fire are attempting to chart a new course, but they aren’t quite there yet – the new material comes across as muddled, overlong and cumbersome.

Filippo L’Astorina, the Editor

For further information and to order a copy of Reflektor visit here.

Watch the live performance of Afterlife at the YouTube Music Awards here: