12. (Antichrist Television Blues) (from Neon Bible, 2006)
Among the more up-tempo tracks on 'Neon Bible', '(Antichrist Television Blues)' is a song written from the perspective of a devout Christian man desperate escape a cataclysmic post-9/11 world by throwing his young daughter into show-business to "save" himself. It's a stark message concerning the band's feelings on the meaning of religion in our time. It's on '(Antichrist Television Blues)' that the stronger, potentially more controversial themes of 'Neon Bible' are really put on display, and the character narrating the song is an ingenious metaphor for the Christian mindset in a conflicted, Godless world. The song is set to a simple guitar piece and delicate piano, and Win Butler evokes the character wonderfully through the cleverly-written lyrics.
11. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) (from The Suburbs, 2010)
If ever there was a song in Arcade Fire's back catalogue that you won't be able to stop playing over and over again, it's this one. Driven by seductive synths and with an almost disco feel to it, 'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)' rounds off 'The Suburbs' with wild abandon and is the track on the album which finally sees Régine Chassagne take the lead. She sings of being trapped in the sprawl of the suburban mindset, comparing the tribulations of youth to the more hard-hitting trials of adulthood in the suburbs. The result is a somewhat brighter and immediately danceable affair which turns the band's orchestral sound right on its head, but remains true to the concept of 'The Suburbs' and certainly stands its ground against the classic Arcade Fire offerings.