if they do not play an irish festival, be it an MCD or POD/Aikan event, i would be very surprised

Listening to it as I write and it's something I didn't expect: immediate. Not in a "Dude, we supported U2, let's, like, sound exactly like them on our next record" kinda way. There's not many Haiti
s though, if you get me.
Intervention is just pure Arcade Fire , but I'm glad they didn't just take Funeral, burn some more copies of it, and put it in new packaging. I don't want to jump the 9mm here, so I shall reserve total judgement for now, having only listened to it twice, but with tracks like Windowsill and Keep The Car Running it seems to be every bit as vital as Funeral was.

I've no idea why the rumour mill's a-blowing gossip that they'll be at Oxegen around. If ever there was a band that should NOT play Tinkertown it's these guys. Far be it from someone who listens to Broken Social Scene most of his time to be a snob (ahem), but seeing them shafted underneath the Killers so that 50,000 pissheads get to chant the wrong words to When You Were Young is not my idea of justice. I'd be the first renting a chalet in Laois if I heard they were playing. Or Bright Eyes. I think both could be likely, but then maybe we oughta set up a Cluas Coachella fund, just in case, eh?

I disagree. 2 stand out tracks of excellent quality.
The rest are pretty good indie-pop, but don't come close to matching the power and intensity of Funeral, or the 2 stand-outs of this effort.

Tom Dunne has been playing the new single for a few nights now, and all I can hear is Echo and the Bunnymen - Porcupine era.

I think there's not much point in the comparisons to Funeral, at least not too much: it'd be too much for anyone's standards. I think this is more of a grower and I completely disagree with any 'immediacy' given the basic fact that the songs aren't as catchy as Funeral (oops the first of many contradictions to come I'm sure). But I have to stop listening to it now,its just annoying me and Intervention's organ is annoying umpteenth time around and it kind of spoils the rest of the album for me in a way because it stands out almost too much if anyone gets that. But sure we're all donkeys in anyways...

I found Funeral quite a slow-burner though. Only Laika, Power Out, Rebellion and Wake Up jumped out at me on the first few listens, whereas almost every song in this, as ishrink calls them, is indiepop. Pop. Just a little more than anything off Funeral was, but without the liability of "sell-out" screams from...well... the Cluas.com forum.

But sure, some of us are mules in anyways

No Cars Go is a real oldie, if I'm not very much mistaken. It may even have predated Funeral? Agree that it's the standout. As Ishrink says, most of it is bog standard indie rock. A huge disappointment. Anyone want a ticket? 500 quid*


*Doesn't actually have a ticket.

No Cars Go was on the EP that preceeded Funeral

Owen Pallett wanted to redo the strings for it

It's more than Pallett wanting to redo the strings for it. It's developed a great deal though playing it live over the past 4 years from how it was recorded and it's a much better song now. I believe that it was recorded because they wanted to see what they could get out of the new studio so they thought doing an old song that they were familiar with was a good way of doing so.

I've not heard the new album yet, I've got a YSI link all ready to go and no broadband connection to use it on. Sickener. Today, I'll drop in on friends with broadband today.

I'm going to see them in London tomorrow. Can't wait.

I think the Oxegen rumours are coming from the fact they MCD are putting on the gig in the Olympia. People believe that MCD might have done a deal whereby they have exclusive rights on any festival appearance by AF.

Just heard the new No Cars Go.

Holy s**t.

there is no such deal in the contract that ties AF to oxegen

there is a clause where by they cannot play an event within Ireland for another promotor within 6 months, as is standard on all MCD contracts, but that will be up by the time of EP

still though, im not gonna rule them out for Oxe, who would have thought that Sigur Ros would play there last yaer instead of EP!

Wouldn't be shocked if they played a Marley park gig.

A 6 month contract would rule them out of EP no?

Olympia gigs are March 5th and 6th. EP is August 31st to Sep 2 which would be within six months by a matter of days.

I reckon a Marley Park gig too

It's no Funeral, but it's still a great album. Intervention and Keep The Car Running are my favourite tracks at the mo

is it actually out yet?

no, it's out March 2nd I think. I got a promo copy

yup 2nd, but its leaked on interweb, but apparently its pretty poor quality (the rip, not the songs)

The vinyl release comes with a pass for a free mp3 download. Its on 2 LPs, with 3 sides of tunes and one is artwork by Win

i might opt for this if anywhere in town stocks it

novel idea although i don't really like it... put the songs on 4 sides Win and give us your artwork on an inner sleeve thank you very much...