It’s safe to say that everyone has at least thought about what it would be like to fly at some point in life. Most probably dream about the peaceful feeling we would gain from overcoming body limitations and soaring above our cities. Will Butler’s dream of flight is a bit simpler: “If I could fly, you know I’d beat the shit out of some birds,” Butler sings on “Take My Side,” the opening track of his debut solo album, Policy. Will Butler is an original member of Arcade Fire, and the younger brother of Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler.
The 27-minute, eight-song album breezes by with a variety of genres tossed into the mix that somehow blend together well. The majority are lighthearted songs that venture into a more humorous side that the heavy-handed ensemble Arcade Fire is unable to explore. In reality, even if Arcade Fire released the next Sgt. Pepper, critics would still find a way to hate it, which is why going solo was a smart idea for Will Butler to explore
“Take My Side” sounds like electric Bob Dylan taking a stab at Rockabilly, while “Anna” dabbles in synthesizer driven beat. The album on a high note with “Witness,” a ’50s Doo-Wop song. The various stylings add texture to the short album, much like Arcade Fire’s explorative albums always do.
Butler offers up his advice for a romantic gift idea with, “If you come and take my hand / I will buy you a pony / We can cook it for supper / I know a great recipe for pony macaroni.” On “What I Want,” Butler combines humor with the ever-present Arcade Fire theme of war, saying “If you told me that there was a war, I would fight until we were all free,” before asking, “What about Tuesday night, are you free?”
“Sing To Me” finds an exhausted Butler revisiting the desperation of Neon Bible with less serious inhibitions. He is tired and simply needs someone to sing to him on order to help lull him to sleep.
Policy is no Funeral, but it is a good addition to the Arcade Fire family of music, and it serves as a temporary fill between the usual three-year album gap for Arcade Fire. It is apparent on a few of the tracks that Policy was quickly recorded in the span of a week, but “Take my Side,” “Finish What I Started,” “Sing To Me” and “Son Of God” are strong tracks worth checking out.
Follow Craig Wright on Twitter @wgwcraig