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Type: Album Release date: 28/02/2005
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For all its permanent relevance and worldwide resonance, death still remains mostly shrouded in mystery - clawed at desperately by those who grieve looking for explanation, justification and recompense. The catharsis that emerges is essentially bile - an amalgam of our inability to accept and articulate loss. In the hands of artists however, catharsis becomes something altogether more beatific, something which can deconstruct death and rebuild it. This is the ethos of The Arcade Fire, and one which has made one of the most impressive and confident debuts of the year.

Now available on iTunes (and through Rough Trade on February 28th) the aptly titled 'Funeral' attacks from so many disparate directions that it's difficult to pin down and appreciate on initial listens. Encompassing chamber pop melodies, angular art-rock, lavish orchestration and post-punk vocals, its sheer sonic size and ambition goes some way towards justifying the amount of gushing praise that's been heaped upon this album since its September release on Merge last year. The fact that the music is so paradoxically life-affirming and euphoric makes it much easier to write, what now feel like, trite hyperboles.

'Crown Of Love' is greatly representative of 'Funeral' at it's heart - theatrical and measured but with a healthy dose of chaos. Stately strings play host to a heavenly, languid melody underscored with low piano thumps and Win Butler's apologetic croon to a lost love - "If you still want me/Please forgive me/The crown of love has fallen from me." It swells gradually until Howard Bilerman's disco rhythms (a recurring feature) grab the song by the throat and hoist it skywards, the strings stabbing in perfect harmony. 'Neighborhood #2 (Laika)' (the second of four 'Neighborhood's throughout the album) is much more immediate, with Win Butler and Régine Chassagne singing with enough passion to convince you life is being literally wrenched from them at the mic. It darts between an accordian-led sway to a hypnotic punk chorus backed by a similarly driving string section and is an obvious choice for single release.

Lyrically, The Arcade Fire keep a comfortable distance from the pretentious and overblown. The rich imagery of 'Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)' sets grieving against a town buried in snow, "And if my parents are crying/Then i'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours" and whilst the latter parts of 'Rebellion (Lies)' veer dangerously close to The Polyphonic Spree ("Now here's the sun, it's alright!/Now here's the moon, it's alright!") its bombastic bass swagger has more balls and conviction than anything the Spree have recorded. Live favourite 'Wake Up' also has an abundance of energy rooted in its spirited choral nature before it mutates into a bouncy coda over which Win gleefully, but appropriately wails "You better look out below!"

The album closes with 'In The Backseat' which encompasses the entire crux of 'Funeral'. "I like the peace in the backseat/I don't have to drive/I don't have to speak" sings Régine eschewing responsibility for safety and detachment. As the song graduates to it's climax, her voice growing ever more siren-like with a Bjork quality, events force her into acceptance - "Alice died in the night/I've been learning to drive/I've been learning to drive all my life." The strings grow restless, the drums pound the guitars grow louder. Like 'Funeral' as a whole, it's empowering and hopeful and euphoric all at once. It says everything there is to say about mortality and it does it in 10 tracks.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Great review - sums the greatness of this record up brilliantly! Can't wait to see them in London now, apparently if reports from across the pond are to be trusted, they're even better live.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Great bit of writing.

This record is getting huge, and they are gonna be huge. Worthy of the praise, I'd say.

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

I have heard the same thing... we've got an interview coming soon as well... hopefully it should be a good year for the guys in the UK. if that doesn't sound too corny. I think the album is magnificent. The grandest lo fi record made that I've heard...

favourite tracks?

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

track 6, whatever it's called.
the outro lasts about 30 seconds and is immense.
and it makes me dance.
and the second track from last too.
mercury rev should listen to this album to see where they went wrong on their past two albums.

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Favourite Tracks? The whole album rules...but:

Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Neighborhood #4 (Kettles)
Wake Up
Rebellion (Lies)
In the backseat

....those are all brilliant. Especially 'In the Backseat' - one of the best songs I've heard in a long time. Looking forward to reading an interview. Hopefully when they tour in May it will be a decent sized tour, rather than the usual UK 3-stop wonder....

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King's College = sold out, quite possibly another date a couple of days later, but I didn't tell you that. It was John Brainlove.

Whoops.

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It's all about track 7 - wake up. Amazing. Amazing. and then 9 I think.... Rebellion..

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Two good songs and eight fucking amazing songs as far as I'm concerned. What an album. Nice review too. Specifying favourites, I'd say that Une Annee Sans Lumiere, Crown Of Love, Wake Up and Rebellion (Lies) are the absolute best but really I love it all.

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Yeah, looking forward to that King's College date. I convinced a friend who's never heard of them before to join me - looks like I got tickets just before they sold out.

Anyone know what King's College is like?

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

I've said my piece about this one a hundred times already, but hey, what are you gonna do? Once more for luck:

"Funeral" is great. Get it.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

une annee sans lumiere and rebellion (lies) are beyond excellent, and the others are absolutely fan-f*cking-tastic!

im in love this album, would reccomend it to anyone with a decent taste in music.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

wow, theres been no negative comments or backlash so far, which is surprising for DiS. well, i'm not about to change that because i think this is a great album, ive got my ticket to see them at kings college and i'm really looking forward to it. from the bootlegs and live reviews ive heard, theyre even better live, very euphoric and celebratory. it took a while to grow on me so all i can say is get it, and stick with it for a while, it will eventualy grab you. it still hasnt let go of me yet, i love this album.

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Ich liebe alle Liede auf dem Album ja.

Finding it difficult to remain nonchalant about this record...Beautiful, humble, timeless and enchanting...if it's given the chance that is. Hope people do. They better get their asses over here soon :D


Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Check out the forum for backlash, it has begun!

For me I love it, had it about 4 months now and still feel its as essential as when i first heard it. And boy when i first heard track one i had to down tools I was that taken in by it!

Bring on the tour in April!

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

My favourite is Power Out, closely followed by In The Backseat. They piss over all the other bands hyped up as "bands of 2005". Shame about the backlash, but it was bound to happen eventually, with all the hype.

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Bugger - I have been watching everywhere for mention of a London gig - it must have gone in seconds -if anyone has a spare ticket for sale i would greatly appreciate it!!! Let me know,
Thanks

James

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Huh? They're playing King's College? And somewhere else? Is this a secret? If so why? Don't they like us? I can't find any
UK dates anywhere. Whimper.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

'in the backseat' and i think it's the first neighborhood have the most beautiful, vivid lyrics in terms of imagery. i couldn't get the bit out of my had for ages, from 'backseat' where the guitar comes in on 'alice died'. opens everything up - definatley an album of 04/05 contender.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

people have been going fucking apeshit about this record on every american forum i know of. and i still haven't heard one song.

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

a little taster for Kings College:

http://stream.qtv.apple.com/qtv/toolshed/merge/arcade_ref.mov

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

can't wait to get me grubby little mits on a copy of this album

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

ive been listening to it today and it's simply staggeringly brilliant.

can't wait to see them at kings cross in march!

then bright eyes the next day,,,,,should be good!

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

*Yawn*

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

agreed... but "the crown of love" is close!

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Zzzz.

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

'Une Année Sans Lumiere' is far and away my favourite track on the album, closely followed by 'Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)'. To be fair, I can't name a song I DON'T like. At a push, I'd say '...In The Back Seat' is the weakest song, but only because it seems a little tacked on at the end.

I've been listening to the album since November when an American friend sent it to my Gmail, so it's amazing seeing the buzz just grow and grow.

If anyone's at the King's College gig, look for the lanky git with a face full of awe near the front.

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Hah, snap. Looking forward to that week...though I suspect that getting up for work on Wednesday & Thursday is going to be tough.

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aaaargh - so upset about the kings college dates. are they are part of some secret society that it wasn't widely publicised? can't believe it

neighbour hood 1 and neighbourhood 2 are my favourite tracks.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Gutted. I've been keeping an eye out for any live dates for ages, I didn't hear about this at all. Brilliant Album....

You snooze you lose.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

for anyone that wants it early you can get this on import from amazon.co.uk marketplace - i think the seller is called caiman_usa or something like that. it only cost me about £8.50 including delivery, although it took about a week to get here.

it really deserves its 5 stars.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

i indeed gave it 5 stars, and got it from amazon, rare style non-rough trade :) tho no difference, still tragically beautiful, obsessed with laika; "when daddy comes home..." immense!

Loving that power out video, thanks dude, got me well excited about kings gig, so glad i got tix, comin down from sheffied such is my comitment might stick around for camden crawl to, sod uni!

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

ULU!
ULU!
you do?
ULU!
i will!

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Josh - you rule - thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I have a ticket to see AF now!

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Like Sparks, even though I had the album (very cheap from the merge website) I missed the sale of the first tickets.

If anyone needs to trade his King's College ticket: I have a ULU ticket to exchange it for! Email me...

That album is truly great, pretty rare nowadays. A classic.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

I'm gonna go buy this today. This and the new Ben Lee album. Anyone know if that's any good?

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

"The fact that the music is so paradoxically life-affirming and euphoric makes it much easier to write, what now feel like, trite hyperboles."

what is paradoxical about this?

come back when you have learned how to think and write something that isn't garbage

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

hello mortals. should i buy this or give up by the postal service?

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Buy both for God's sake! Sell the first Bravery single on Ebay if you don't have enough cash...

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Wonderful album! It reminds me at times of the film belleville rendezvous for some reason. There's an amazing closeness to the music, which I found with Modest Mouse's "GNFPWLBN" too, but it is far greater on this album.

now I'm off to listen to it, on repeat probably.

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Have you listened to the record? The lyrics, the ideas, the fact that it's called funeral... and yet it still has that quality. It may not be quite paradoxical but there is a sharp juxtaposition of joyful music and sometimes less than sanguine lyrics.

Come back when you've got a point, and don't rubbish someone's review just for the sake of it.

Re: The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Amen brother.

For me, it just sounds like a weak version of the Flaming Lips - and I don't even like them much. I'd have liked it when I was eighteen. It kind of sounds like the music a Canadian husband and wife might make - very wholesome, very "arty" in a sixth form kind of way. God, I feel bored typing about it.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

this is a great record. beautiful.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

awesome awesome record

great review

this album is definitely worth 10/10.

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