Arcade Fire and Mavis Staples try to lift spirits with ‘I Give You Power’
Except for the country rockers and talent-show contestants performing at Trump’s inaugural festivities, many musicians are wondering how they’re going to lift spirits in the midst of such a divisive presidency.
Mavis Staples knows a thing or two about rallying fans during tough times, and she’s the perfect guest for Arcade Fire’s new single, “I Give You Power.”
Released Thursday, the song is a surging electro-disco number that’s akin to Arcade Fire’s recent work with James Murphy on “Reflektor.”
But while that LP had a sheen and grandiosity befitting their lofty ambitions, the song with Staples is churning, chanting and NYC punk-funky in a way that recalls the last decade that America elected another film and television personality president, Ronald Reagan.
All proceeds from the song go to the ACLU, which will likely need all the help it can get in the coming years. But for a more immediate jolt of hope from someone who has seen times as unsettling as these: Staples plays in Orange County on Friday night. Go see her. It might help a little.
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