Will Butler of Arcade Fire fame has taken the leap into the solo music world with the release of his album, ‘Policy’. Butler in particular has lived in the shadow of his brother, Win and his sister-in-law for years and it’s genuinely refreshing to see him step into the light and release something that showcases his wide range of musical talent.

Lead single Anna is a gem of a track. It’s not unlike some of the dancier Arcade Fire numbers and Will does sing like his brother, but it’s catchy and fun and everything you’d want from a lead song. It feels like the kind of song you could dance to at 3am in the middle of a field during the summer and not get funny looks for, because people would join you.

What I Want is a song that takes a few listens to really appreciate. This is mostly due to the utterly insane lyrics that will definitely have you rewinding it and asking yourself if your ears were broken. Lines like “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” require a double (and sometimes a triple) take but it just adds to the undeniable fun that Butler has let ooze through the album. It’s a love song of an entirely different ilk, possibly discussing how insane love can make you or more probably showing off Butler’s insanity. Either way, it’s a stellar song that’s almost impossible not to do a little dance to.

Son of God sounds like it could have came straight from Arcade Fire’s grammy winning album, The Suburbs, which lets it down. It lacks any real originality and the bassline during the verse sounds like it was lifted straight from City With No Children. To those less familar with the Canadian band it might be less noticeable but to those who are fans, the similarities will leap out to confront you. Something’s Coming creates a doomsday-esque feeling with it’s refrain of: “look out, look out” while it grooves along.

Sing to Me is a complete contrast to the upbeat danciness that envelops much of the album. It’s downtempo and led by delicate piano that is spine-tinglingly beautiful. This is followed by album closer Witness that brings back the upbeat contagious riffs and ends the album on a high.

If you’re a fan of Arcade Fire, you’ll find things that you like and dislike about ‘Policy’. The similarities are so striking sometimes that it’s difficult to differentiate the two but at other times you wonder why it’s taken Butler so long to release his own record. ‘Policy’ shows Butler off as a highly talented musician with the ability to utilise all manner of weird sounds to sculpt eight impressive songs.  If you’re not a fan of Arcade Fire, there’s still plenty to enjoy. Despite minor issues, it’s almost inevitable that the dancey beats will win you over and you’ll find yourself wishing there was more than an octet of songs to sink your teeth into.