Gettin' by with a little help...

Win Butler’s greatest genius lies in having a bunch of friends.

It’s not hard to imagine how insufferable Butler would be if it were just his earnest mug alone plastered all over indie mags and blogs. Just picture Conor Oberst or Sufjan Stevens and you’re already there. By contrast, sharing the spotlight with brothers, wives and drinking buddies goes a long way towards preventing people from accusing you of being self-absorbed or navel-gazing. As if by magic, you’re suddenly “communal.” I admit it’s an effective trick and not one to be undersold. Eric Weisbard once memorably mythologized Nirvana by claiming that Cobain “made his I’s resonate like we’s.” Butler takes a shortcut to achieving the same thing by simply inviting all the “we’s” up on stage.

On the one hand, the Arcade Fire by its very existence acts out the close-knit camaraderie that Oberst frequently evokes but rarely allows to actually penetrate his solipsistic mewlings. On the other, Butler and friends appear to live out the fellowship of believers (no matter how strong/nonexistent each member’s individual faith) that Sufjan seems so clearly to want but only occasionally and obliquely brings to life.