Arcade Fire - WE

Released 6th May 2022.

Produced by Nigel Godrich, Win & Regine, and recorded in multiple locales including New Orleans, El Paso and Mount Desert Island, WE paradoxically distills the longest weve ever spent writing, uninterrupted, probably ever" (per the bands Win Butler) into a concise 40 minute epic one as much about the forces that threaten to pull us away from the people we love, as it is inspired by the urgent need to overcome them. WEs cathartic journey follows a definable arc from darkness into light over the course of seven songs divided into two distinct sides -- Side I channeling the fear and loneliness of isolation, and Side WE expressing the joy and power of reconnection.

On the albums cover, a photograph of a human eye by the artist JR evokes Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. This stunning image -- embellished by the distinctive airbrush color tinting of Terry Pastor (utilizing the same