Will Butler - Policy

Clocking in at a concise half-an-hour, the debut solo album from Will Butler skips nicely through several different styles, whilst retaining the sharp intelligence and emotional punch of the band he plays in, Arcade Fire.
Thematically an examination of the tapestry of American life, from the corridors of power to the sturm und drang of the suburbs, Policy kicks off with ‘Take My Side’, an electrifying slice of garage rock ‘n’ roll. Butler – a vocal dead ringer for his brother, AF frontman Win – conjures up an infectious synth groove on ‘Anna’ (complete with catchy “bom-bom-bom” refrain), and does a nifty Beatles impression on ‘Finish What I Started’, a dreamy ballad reminiscent of The White Album. Elsewhere, ‘Something’s Coming’ is Devo-ish piece of jerky punk-funk with a vaguely apocalyptic lyric (“Something’s coming/ is it the end?”), ‘Sing To Me’ is an exquisite piano ballad and ‘What I Want’ is a driving rocker with a killer opening line (“Tell me what you want baby and I will get it/ Though it might take three to five business days”). Impressively energetic and eclectic, this is one Policy we can all get behind.

Key Track - 'Something's Coming'