Arcade Fire have dropped their much teased two-part new single, ‘The Lightning I, II’, and announced a new album, ‘WE’
Previewed via postcards, posters, websites and more over recent weeks, the track was one of three to get an airing at the band’s comeback New Orleans show earlier this week.
Now, the full recorded version is finally here.
The news comes alongside the announcement of a new album ‘WE’, which is set to arrive on 6th May. Produced by regular Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich, as well as band leaders Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, the album is 40 minutes in length, split between two sides. The first, Side “I”, deals with isolation, while side “WE”, concerns itself with human connection.
The announcement also comes alongside a note from Win Butler, which you can read below.
Described by Win as being the product of “the longest we’ve ever spent writing, uninterrupted, probably ever”, you can check out the video for ‘The Lightning I, II’, directed by Emily Kai Bock, below.
The tracklisting for ‘WE’ reads:
Side I:
- Age of Anxiety I
- Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)
- End of the Empire I-IV
Side WE:
- The Lightning I, II
- Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)
- Unconditional II (Race and Religion)
- WE
