Arcade Fire - 'Funeral' (Rough Trade)
5/5
By: Toby L
The Brits aren't the only cads at this 'eccentricity' lark. Look at the 'nadians, too. Montreal's Arcade Fire are so inherently bizarre, they might not be of this earth.
One thing's for sure: they're beyond most of us. A debut-album that dented the top-75 on sheer word-of-mouth power alone, a group whose first ever UK dates sold out immediately (whilst news approaches rockfeedback at time of going to press, that the band's third ever London gig, at the somewhat cavernous Astoria, is also already over-subscribed, too), and the sort of fever on the streets that suggests a miracle has occurred.
It has. And it's in the shape of a 'Funeral'. Death, after all, often provokes new beginning.
The most morbidly entitled LP of our year thus far, yes, but also the most invigorating. It's deeply harmonic, symphonic orchestral pop music for the frail-hearted. Cocteau Twins shoved in a blender, with only Tim DeLaughter and Wayne Coyne around to pick up the pieces.
The first signs of the real obscurity, however, are the track-titles. There's four songs called 'Neighborhood'. Favourably, they're all masterpieces, specifically the sub-dubbed 'Laika' - an accordion-waltzing measure of desperation ('You can do it...' belts out singer Win Butler... 'There's nothing to it!''), and future dancefloor-crammer 'Power Out'.
And even after such early passings, 'Funeral' fails to let up, perhaps boasting the finest climax in a debut-album we've heard in recent times - the bass omitting tirade of blissful sonic-noise that constitutes 'Rebellion', and the truly beautiful, violin-dripping 'In The Backseat' - sung by Butler's wife and fellow co-writer Rιgine Chassagne with all the emotion and tearful sincerity of a great, comparable in part only to the lush execution of The Delgados at their most grandiose and sweeping.
Swooning, and misty-eyed, 'Funeral' has seemingly come out of nowhere and made us better people. Inspired, articulate, ultimately heart-rending - Arcade Fire; there's few sentiments too praising we could ever launch in your direction.
Artists in this article: Arcade Fire
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