CORRECTION: In a previous headline accompanying this article, the number of members in Arcade Fire was misstated. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

With Haitian “rara” music, Brazilian carnival masks, “Sgt. Pepper”-inspired outfits and 1960s psychedelia, Arcade Fire released its newest album, “Reflektor,” as a two-piece disc set that goes beyond the norm.

The album has a very Beatles feel to it. The psychedelia and costumes really bring this home, and the recordings and productions are reminiscent of late Beatles work. At times, the album feels like a live album with moments of theatrical themes. Well, the first disc, anyway. The second disc has a more traditional Arcade Fire sound.

The Canadian band’s fourth studio album is experimentally different from its previous music. Front man Win Butler attests this new style to the insights gained from their travels in the Caribbean.

“Here Comes the Night Time,” for example, was written and recorded in a Jamaican castle. The song, divided into two segments on the album, was inspired by the band’s time in Haiti — the home country of front woman Régine Chassagne’s parents.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Butler acknowledged that both versions of “Here Comes the Night Time” have ties to the islands.

“Both of them are very much influenced by when the sun is just starting to go down in Port-au-Prince, and it’s really intense because most of the city doesn’t have electricity, so everyone is just racing to get home before dark,” he said.

It’s obvious this song isn’t the only one where Arcade Fire borrows Haitian elements. For most of the music video for its lead song, “Reflektor,” the band wears oversized head masks, not unlike those worn in Haitian festivals.

“Reflektor” is a brilliant song — all seven minutes of it. Chassagne sings part of the song in French in that feather-like voice of hers, and the song sounds like a cross between a disco track and a B-side from Cold War Kids.

The entire album echoes Butler and Chassagne’s marriage — the “reflection” is inspired by their deep emotional investment in each other. Butler sings, “We fell in love, alone on a stage, in the reflective age.”

“Afterlife,” on the other hand, is more about fighting to save their relationship. Butler and Chassagne sugarcoat nothing, admitting in their lyrics, “Can we just work it out? Scream and shout till we work it out? But you say, when love is gone, where does it go?”

Butler does most of the singing and Chassagne’s voice is less frequent, appearing in most songs as a backing vocal. Because the album hints at their relationship, it almost seems one-sided, as we don’t hear enough of Chassagne.

The strongest songs on the albums are “We Exist” and “Normal Person.” “We Exist” should be the next single off the album. The groove line sounds a bit like Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” Intentional tribute? Probably not. But with such a retro-sounding album, who knows? “Normal Person” is a great track because of the guitar solo featured in it. The lyrics are interesting, too, and sound like the musings of an introvert.

Arcade Fire is obviously having fun with this release. And they’re fun to listen to. “Reflektor” is a great concept album. The band is discovering a new sound while still keeping the same elements that made them likable in the first place.

Published on November 5, 2013 at 1:22 am

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