Fricke on Arcade Fire

FURTHER REFLEKTION: Esteemed critic David Fricke offered his take on the new Arcade Fire album (on Merge) in a "first listen" item posted today at RollingStone.com, and it's pretty effusive: "It is tempting to call Reflektor Arcade Fire's answer to the Rolling Stones' 1972 double LP, Exile on Main Street," notes Fricke in the 4.5-star review. "The similarities (length, churn, all that reverb) make it easy. But Reflektor is closer to turning-point classics such as U2's Achtung Baby and Radiohead's Kid A–a thrilling act of risk and renewal by a band with established commercial appeal and a greater fear of the average, of merely being liked."(9/27p)