Arcade Fire - Funeral
Canada's Arcade Fire have been causing a lot of column inches this year, with rabid music journalists singing their praises. Quite often this sort of praise is over-the-top and the band in question fails to live up the headlines. However in The Arcade Fire, we have a group that bucks this trend.
Second album "Funeral" (the title comes from the fact that various band members lost relatives during the album's recording) is quite simply the album of year. Bold words maybe, but as this album infests your soul, you will quite possibly agree.
The album opens with "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" (4 of the tracks in the album are called "Neighborhood") a strange dreamlike tale, of a town covered in snow, where there are only 2 people left. Following on is the accordian-driven, first single from the album, "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)", which contains an oddly catchy chorus, with the repeated lyric "our mother shoulda just named you Laika". These are two of the highlights of the album, along with the singles, "Wake Up" (which they recently performed live with David Bowie), "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out"
|
As you journey through the album there are moments that remind you of other bands; the Pixes-esque vocal melody of "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)", or you may be reminded of the Polyphonic Spree, by the vocal harmonies on new single "Wake up", and even the drumming on "Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out), brings to mind the distinctive style of New Order's Stephen Morris. However the overriding sound of "Funeral" is fresh, original and excilerating.
This album will quite possibly be cited as a classic for many years to come, even if the band released nothing after this.
|
