5/5 A stunningly brilliant debut album
  by Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA)
Only five years ago I was somewhat despondent about the state of rock music. Relatively little exciting new music was being produced compared with previous decades in the history of rock. But the past few years has seen an explosion of really fine bands from all over the planet, not merely from around the U.S. and England, but in every area of Europe and, as in the case of Arcade Fire, Canada. Most of these bands tend to fall into either of two categories: back to roots bands (usually European, where they go back almost to garage roots, and bands that synthesize much of the history of rock to create their own unique mixture. Arcade Fire clearly belongs to the latter. Like a band like Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire constantly reminds you of other bands. Most frequently I'm reminded of the Pixies and Talking Heads, but almost as often I hear echoes of Roxy Music, Joy Division, or even David Bowie and Brian Eno.

As anyone knows who has heard anything at all about this album, it was produced shortly after members of the band suffered the deaths of several family members in less than a month. This clearly gives the album not merely its title, but a lot of its urgency and focus. The album doesn't, however, deal with death (like Lou Reed's LOVE AND MAGICK does, for instance) but with love and life. The heart of the album is the quartet of the songs that share the title "Neighborhood." They take up four of the first five tracks on the album, and each one is utterly splendid in its own way. I might have a slight preference for the first one, subtitled "Tunnels," but if you ask me on a different listening I might opt for another. The album hardly slows down after that quartet of songs is finished (and for the record, the 3rd cut, "Une Année Sans Lumière," is one of the stronger cuts on the album, and the one that immediately follows the final "Neighborhood" song, "Crown of Love," is another amazingly strong number. If the album fades at all (and compared to most other recent rock albums, even good ones, it doesn't), it is near the end. But even then, the next to last cut on the album, "Rebellion (Lies)," is as good as anything the album contains.

One thing that marks nearly every song on the album is the wonderful way that they employ contrasts. Most songs build rather slowly, to build up to a glorious, powerful crescendo. Many of the songs have a kind of majesty that many heavy metal bands, for instance, strive for, but rarely achieve. One thing, however, that sets them apart from many of the bands I mentioned as possible influences is that they have a very powerful, dynamic rhythm section. I absolutely adore the Pixies, but they almost intentionally submerge the rhythm section in the music. In Arcade Fire, despite all of the musical trappings, the drums and bass propel the song forward, and in the many songs where the tension and tempo build, they always lead the charge. Just listen to "Rebellion (Lies)" and watch how the rhythm section controls the song.

This is easily one of the best debut albums in recent years, and I eagerly await their next album. As I write this review, I am only a few days away from seeing these guys live in Chicago at the Logan Square Theater.

Note: Big thanks to my brother for calling my attention to these guys.

5/5 Wild, mad and beautiful
  by E. A Solinas (MD USA)
Every now and then, a truly original, groundbreaking band surfaces amid all the bland pop and rock. Montreal's Arcade Fire is one such band. In their glorious full-length debut "Funeral," Arcade Fire spins elaborate art-rock full of passion and atmosphere.

Rather than trying to hook you the way most songs do, Arcade Fire builds up their songs to a musical (and emotional) crescendo. The album opens on a four-song cycle called "Neighborhood," which deal with daydreams, neglect, fighting in a family, and just sitting around waiting for life to happen to you. All four things are pretty clearly considered disastrous -- don't waste time, make life happen!

Certainly that get-off-your-bum-and-make-things-happen attitude carries over to the wild "Wake Up," a howling anthem with an ever-evolving beat, and the well-named "Rebellion," where Win sings, ""Sleeping is giving in/no matter what the time is/Sleeping is giving in/so lift those heavy eyelids." You'll be emotionally exhausted when it reaches the wrenching finale, "In the Back Seat." And it does all this while making you dance too.

Most pop or rock songs are focused on "He/she left me/cheated on me and I'm miserable" or "I'm so in love." Don't expect anything so obvious from the Arcade Fire. These are about living life in general, not just one part of it. Why's it called "Funeral"? Partly the fear of dying without having accomplished something.

Musically, it will make your head spin. There's a blend of post-punk, rock, art-rock, pop, folk, classical, and much more -- like a punkier version of Neutral Milk Hotel or Modest Mouse. Woven together are xylophone, shimmering strings, swirling keyboard, piano, violins, and accordians. And they're all set to epic, crashing art-rock and disco rhythms.

And Win Butler is about as laid-back as his music. He can belt out tormented vocals like few can, shout, wail, whimper, and just sing. And his wife Regine offers equally angsty backing vocals. Which is a good thing, because it takes good vocals to do justice to brilliant songwriting like "The neighbors can dance in the disco police lights."

The Arcade Fire's "Funeral" is certainly a contender for "Best of 2004." At the very least, it's a polished and wrenching debut, and likely to get you off your butt and out living life. If joie de vivre had a sound, this is what it would sound like.

5/5 I don't know much about "cool", but I know what I like.
  by Zhimbo (New York City)
My impression of many of the negative reviews of this album - and some of the positive ones - is that folks are too caught up with how this band fits into a "scene", or making fine distinctions of cool and meta-cool (e.g., independent music that isn't detached and ironic enough should be derided).

Me, I'm some guy in my mid-30's who hasn't a clue what is cool anymore, or cooler-than-cool, but just tries like heck to search out interesting music by browsing the Web and trading suggestions with friends. And "Funeral" - which I only heard about a year or so after it came out - is one of my favorite finds in recent years.

This is passionate, beautiful, rich, yet catchy-as-all-heck pop music. It has touchstones in the past (to me, I hear Talking Heads and Sugarcubes, but this is richer and warmer music) but sounds fresh and forward looking. The lyrics interleave melancholy and regret with passion and hope so finely that the differences among these are obliterated. Check out "Haiti" - the only song with any overtly political level to it: "All the tears and all the bodies bring about our second birth" - and this is set to some of the catchiest, slinkiest, and most sensual rhythms you'll hear in pop music.

It's rare to hear such sustained inspiration on an album, much less a debut album. It actually brought tears to my eyes!

5/5 You're Looking at a Future Classic: Best of the Decade
  by Walter Werner (New Jersey)
Well, best of the decade SO FAR, but my point still stands. This album is magnificent. It managed to do EVERYTHING so effortlessly, and yet not make any of it gimicky. It all feels genuine. It's pure genius indie rock.

Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels): 9/10. A nice lead in to the record. It sets the mood for the record. The piano is used to puntuate the stead drum and base line, while the guitars subtly push the song forward from the backround. A brilliant little art-dance rock medley, that ALSO manages to be epic. I know that definition sounds bizarre but you'll see what I mean when you hear it.

Neighborhood #2 (Laika): 10/10. Following the style of the first song, this song gets a little more intense and guitar oriented, and is even more enthralling to listen to. The singer is capable of expressing such sorrow and hope together in a single way that really expresses the strue strength of this song. it sounds pathetic and sad despite it being uptempo, and when it cuts off, it feels like you've lost something. Brilliant, and possibly my favorite on the album.

Une Annee Sans Lumiere: 9/10. Used as a break for the four neighborhood songs. It uses a slightly different, more airy pop styled rock. The guitars aren't as distorted as much as usual, and the keyboarding makes it very pretty. This song probably wouldn't be so astounding were it not for it's placement. Remember how I said the previous song made you feel empty? Well this one makes you feel better again. It's still sorrowful, but it sounds more hopeful as well. And the end turns into pure rock, because....

Neighborhood #3 (Power Out): 9/10. An all-out rocker. Again though, it's not abrasive. It's carried with airy pop like the rest of the songs, but the guitars, the vocals, the bassline, and the steady drums give it TONS of punch and energy. It's possilby the most uptempo song on the album, and it's a lot of fun to listen to without getting over-the-top. It's still very deep and emotionally powerful. This is what makes the band brilliant.

Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles): 9/10. This is a weird one, mainly because it sounds like the end of the album, but it's really just the end of the first act of the album. Rhythm moves this song forward.... Until it gains some more momentum near the end. Still this song is based on a very simple rhythm that's only set off every once in a while. This makes it, IMO, the weakest song on the album, but notice my rating, this song is still way better than a lot of songs that other bands make. The beautiful movement in the song remains. This song develops nicely with the ending feeling like an ending. It moves on to even better things though....

Crown of Love: 10/10. Holy ****. This is the song that got me into the band. It almost sounds like something off a movie soundtrack or something. Sorrowful and regretful, but with gorgeous instumentation, vocals, and progression with a very wise decision to lead it off rather than end it.

Wake Up: 10/10. Whoa.... This is probably the most impressive song on the album. Laika is probably my favorite, but this one's so good in every way. The orchatral instruments don't even take dominance in this song, they play in the backround. Heavy, metallic guitars predominate, but the song still manages to be downright beautiful and moving. It's also ever changing, even when you don't notice the new arrangements, they're coming in. This song is just plainly a masterpiece.

Haiti: 9/10. The woman vocalist takes over here, and does a really good job. Just as good as the guy, I think. She sounds like some bizarre mixture of Kim Deal and Björk. This song is very poppy-like. Still emotional and dynamic, but it almost sounds like some kind of alternative pop-rock song from the 80s.... Only, y'know.... Not as shallow as a puddle.

Rebellion (Lies): 10/10. Damn, this one's cool. Very catchy, nice use of TWO piano notes. I'm not even sure how the band does it somtimes. Listen to the piano.... Two notes.... Drums.... Three beats.... Simple chords.... And yet, it's SO dynamic, deep, and emotional. This song's just a whole lotta fun to listen to.

In The Backseat: 10/10. The female vocalist again takes lead in this erethral, lovely ending song. You can clearly see how her voice is like Björk's in this song. This is another masterpiece; a triouphant piece of music. It's the perfect closer for the perfect album.

When it ends, if feels like you've just finished some incredible experiance.... And yet, unlike some others this is a fully accessable and enjoyable album to a great many people. I get the feeling this is what Death Cab for Cutie strives for but can't quite achieve. (Note, that's not a shot at Death Cab. like Death Cab a lot, but nothing they've done can compete with this, IMO.)

I don't use the word masterpiece very often.... Hell, I wouldn't call my favorite album ever, The Lonesome Crowded West a masterpiece. I reserve "masterpiece" for the grand albums like Closer, OK Computer, Kid A, Homogenic, LOVELESS (gorgeous, gorgeous album if you don't know of it), or.... Uh.... THIS!

That's right. I'm putting The Arcade Fire on the same level as My Bloody Valentine. You're looking at a future classic. One that will be loved for generations to come.

If The Arcade Fire can ever top this, or match it.... Or even come close to it again, I'll be beyond impressed. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they can do in the future.

5/5 Just Give It A Chance
  by Issac Butler
After reading pitchfork's ecstatic review and also noticing insound.com hailed "Funeral" as "album of the year, I was hesitant to pick this one up. I am always suspicious of such hype, but it only took one listen to justify all the hype surrounding this record.
Most often, a great album will snag my attention with a beautiful hook or a catchy riff, yet with "Funeral", I established a very quick emotional bond with the music, especially with Win Butler's powerful vocals.
I had a lot of trouble trying to pin down the emotive powers of the music. "Funeral" travels a fine line between beauty and over-the-top musicianship, but the humanistic touches flourish through the sublties, making the album totally genuine and earnest.
Yet despite the album's heavy emotional content, it's a surprisingly fun (and danceable) listen, with catchy guitar stabs, fluid bass lines, and upbeat drum licks. The finale on "Crown of Love" is absolutely loveable, while the open guitar riff of "Wake Up" just plain rocks. The album's pinnacle, "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) is slightly reminiscent of Modest Mouse, with it's emotional ambiguity and lyrical integrity.
The Arcade Fire have recieved a lot of comparisons to Neutral Milk Hotel, and while I fail to see any strong connection, both groups seem to brilliantly and effortlessly defy every sort of conventional categorization. At times "Funeral" seems like classical, indie pop, rock, dance, and slow alternative, sometimes simultaneously. And they still blend this eclectic mix masterfully, which merely shows the musical and emotional depth they've brought to the record.
However, trying to categorize and label this record seems unfair to its intent. The songs, with subjects like suburbia, parents, death, and car rides can seem at once sorrowful and still hopeful. The Arcade Fire have crafted a modern masterpiece that will continue to amaze because each listen can offer new insight, continuing to challenge the listener.
Don't buy this record because of the hype or because of this review. Go to The Arcade Fire's website and listen to the samples and merely let yourself get enveloped in this aural masterpiece. I can almost guarantee you will strike a deep, internal cord with something you won't be able to describe. It's something I still can't quite figure out, but most of me really doesn't want to know. All I know is that i simply can't stop listening.