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For more than a decade, Will Butler has taken a backseat while his brother steered their band through one of the most critically-adored careers of this century. As the less recognisable Butler sibling in Montreal juggernauts Arcade Fire, Will's contribution to the band's success has been integral but not necessarily noted: more than most bands, Arcade Fire, with their conceptual outlook and intense, insular recording sessions, are clearly an outfit that rely on each of their members to play their part, but brother Win and his wife Régine Chassagne are unequivocally the faces of the operation.

Given that Arcade Fire are such a "band's band" - a group built around a skilled collective rather than an egomaniac and his unnamed minions – it shouldn't be surprising that Will's debut solo effort is brilliant and immediate proof that the multi-instrumentalist can easily manage on his own. Policy however is more than just a validation exercise, it's good enough to rival much of his day job's noted output.

In eight tracks, Policy is simultaneously Arcade Fire's sister record and total opposite. The similarities lie in the approach: experimental yet intensely, easily melodic; smart; unafraid to go places that most wouldn't. The differences, however, are everywhere. Where The Suburbs and Reflektor were sprawling concept records, Policy is over and out in 28 minutes, casting its eclectic ear on a myriad of sounds and subjects along the way. Where Arcade Fire often favour grandiose subtlety, Butler paints in spirited technicolour. Where they think, he seems to just do.

It's this sense of liberation that really makes the record sing. Far from the acute social observations and underlying melancholy of his main band, Policy just sounds... fun. 'Take My Side' begins like a 1950's rock'n'roll head shaker, all grassroots bluesy stomp and lyrics about letting the fire burn. 'Anna' then takes over, with wobbling, robotic synths and tongue-in-cheek yelping vocals interspersed with brass parps and high end tinkling piano; it's faintly ridiculous but all the better for it. Its playfulness brings the heart-wrenching piano lament of 'Finish What I Started' into even sharper focus. A simple, utterly gorgeous torch song fleshed out with Butler's sonorous vocals and some goosebump-inducing backing harmonies, it hits you straight in the gut.

'Son Of God' is an antsy search for an answer that soars in purposefully gospel-referencing style, while 'Something's Coming' continues the religious questioning ("The Lord is watching with his feet up on the bed/ The Lord is watching but he's not your friend") but over a funk-tinged barrage of eclectic percussion that in less capable hands would end up an overly busy fight for attention.

It's not just musically that Butler proves he's a deft hand, however. Highlight 'What I Want' is a stream of consciousness monologue of weird and wonderful wordplay set over driving guitars that paint Butler as a brilliantly original and sharp narrator: "Tell me what you want babe and I'll get it, but it might take four to five business days"; "If you want I could buy you a pony/ We could cook it for supper/ I know a great recipe for pony macaroni". Conversely, 'Sing To Me' is a plaintive and simple piano lament to fear and loneliness and 'Witness' concludes the album in knowingly jaunty fashion, its lyrics about how "the both of us [are] screwed" set against the kind of hands-in-the-air romp that wouldn't be out of place in a musical theatre score.

Policy is a masterclass in smart songwriting that still retains its sense of humour. And yeah – Will's voice sounds almost identical to Win's. And yeah – it'll likely be a while before he can step fully out of the shadow of Arcade Fire to be judged purely on his own merit. But really, Will Butler's debut needs no additional name-checking to succeed.

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