The best word that I can use to describe Arcade Fire is epic. Over the course of their three albums, the band has tackled some of the biggest topics possible, and in doing so have crafted some of the most emotional, spine-tingling music that I've ever heard. At times Arcade Fire have brought tears to my eyes with the beauty and power of their music, and they have dominated the indie rock world since their debut album in 2004.
Begun in Montreal in 2001 by relocated Texan Win Butler and his wife Regine Chassagne, Arcade Fire went through several incarnations within the Montreal music scene before finally settling on a lineup before the creation of 2004's Funeral. The band is known for adding fairly uncommon instrumentation such as the French horn, accordion, harp and hurdy-gurdy into their songs, and also lean heavily on string sections (many of which are composed by Owen Pallett, who has his own band that is also great). The band is also heavily influenced by a couple of our Music Togetherness alums, Talking Heads (heavily on Funeral), and Bruce Springsteen (whose fingerprints are all over Neon Bible).
Funeral has been discussed by many critics as being one of the greatest debut albums of all time, and at the same time being considered one of the top two or three albums of the last decade (I've got it at #3, personally, behind Radiohead's Kid A, and Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion). When listening to this album, try to keep in mind that most of the members of the band had lost a significant family member during the creation of the album (thus the title), and the thoughts of death and the triumph over it that can be had by living life to the fullest went together to create some of the most poignant lyrics I've ever heard. Neon Bible followed in 2007, and saw some commercial success for the band worldwide after the great critical success of it's predecessor. This year's The Suburbs is a sort of criticism on suburban living and hipster culture, and has been extremely well received by critics and myself alike.
This is an extremely important band within the current underground musical landscape, and I firmly believe that their music should be heard by everyone. Not only are the subjects that they touch relevant to all, but the music itself is simply beautiful....at times the beauty is overwhelming. I hope everyone gets even just a little sliver of the emotions that come across me when I listen to Arcade Fire.
The Albums:
1.) Funeral (2004)
2.) Neon Bible (2007)
3.) The Suburbs (2010)
“Funeral” starts off with a more uplifting sound than I thought I would hear on an album titled “Funeral.” I am assuming that Win is singing this song, and I have to say it is definitely another voice that I think I am going to have to get used to. “Neighborhood #1” has a very epic build up, and even though at this point I am not really a big fan of Win’s voice, I will say that he shows a lot of passion when he is singing. On to “Neighborhood #2” and I have to say that there is something reminiscent for me of the Decemberists. It could be all the great orchestration going on in the song, but definitely not the vocals. This song is a bit on the strange side for me, and I am not really sure what the song is really about. “Une Annee Sans Lumiere” is a very pretty song and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that the majority of the song is done in French. So although I am not sure what the song is about, I can make my own mind up about, which makes for a more compelling appeal to the song. “Neighborhood #4” has an almost folky feel to it, and I think Win’s voice really shines on this track. You can hear the emotion and despair in his words and it really puts the song in a different light. The lyrics are very deep, so on first listen it is kind of hard to really fully understand what the song is all about. “Crown of Love” has a very theatrical feel to it. The sort of back and forth tempo on the song really makes me feel like I am listening to a sort of off Broadway hit. I can definitely see what David means by the songs having an emotional impact on you; this song is heartbreaking and would be the perfect song to listen to post break up. I love the backdrop to “Haiti” and it is a nice change of pace to hear Regine’ add a little femininity to the album. “In the Backseat” is a standout on the album for me. This song is epic and I love the buildup throughout the song. Overall this album is very unique and I will have to go back to it in the future, as I am sure it only gets better on repeat listening.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what exactly to expect on this next album, so I am coming in once again with a very open mind. “Black Mirror” reminds me almost of a song that would be used in some sort of Halloween musical. It has such a theatrical feel to it, and yet such a creepy vibe to it. “Keep the car running” is the first time I really see the Springsteen comparison. This song sounds like something ripped straight off of one of Springsteen’s’ albums. The song seems a bit too repetitive though and starts to lose my interest pretty quickly. “Neon Bible” starts off kind of slow for me, but as I get further into the song I really enjoy the orchestration and simplicity of it. “Ocean of Noise” kind of reminded me of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games.” Just for the simplicity and the deep tone to Win’s voice. The lyrics are pretty deep, and I take it as falling in love with someone, but if they don’t share your beliefs there ultimately is no future. Not sure if I am even close on this, but that is what I took from the song. Just to reiterate what I already said I am REALLY seeing the Springsteen influence in this album. Like the song “The Well and the Lighthouse.” While it starts off with the typical Boss feel to it, near the end you are lead into a pretty stellar rock opera. “Windowsill” is a very dark song, and I am sure with all the chaos and corruption going on in our world today, it is easy for most people to channel into this song. “My body is a cage” is another very deep song, and they really play up the song on this one with the dramatic pipe organ in the background. Overall this album was very unique, but I am not sure if I really enjoy the fact that almost every song on this album sounded straight out of the Springsteen catalog.
“The Suburbs” is a really nice track, I love the backdrop to it and think it really captures the prefect portrait for life in the suburbs. “Modern Man” is a pretty interesting song, looking at how we grow up, get a job, and lead our stereotypical life, yet something is still lacking that holds you back from being truly happy. While that is not the case for me, I am sure that some people can get in a rut and find themselves unhappy in their 9 to 5 lives. “Rococo” is a pretty good song, and I love the strings used in the background and how the song just keeps building up until the very end. “Empty Room” starts off with some frantic strings, which you hear the whole way through the song. It is very dramatic, and I like the lyric, “When I’m by myself, I can be myself.” Sometimes, (depending on who you are around) you can definitely act a different way than you would normally. Thus the lyrics holds very true to how I feel. “Suburban War” is unlike anything I have heard from Arcade Fire to this point. This sounds like the band is trying to make a song that would appeal more to the “popular” crowd. I have to say though at the same time, while I am not a fan of bands going more main stream, this song was very catchy. “Wasted Hours” is a song that is very easy to relate to, and for some reason Bob Dylan comes to mind as I listen to this song. Just seems like the kind of song he would sing about. I really like the track “Deep Blue,” but as I listen to it I am not sure what it is that appeals to me so much. Maybe it is the bounciness of the tempo that adds a certain playfulness to the song. “We used to wait” I had actually already heard before. I saw that Arcade Fire did a music video that incorporated the street where you grew up at, into their song. They did this by using Google Map, and flashing pictures of your house in and out of the music video. While the video was pretty neat, I have to say that the song caught my attention more than the images appearing on the screen. I love the playful banter on the piano, and the chorus is very catchy as well. This is probably my favorite track on the album.
ReplyDeleteThis week was very interesting for me, and I am not sure at this point if I am full blown fan or not, but I will say that the majority of their songs are unlike anything you hear nowadays. I will definitely listen to them in the future, and I am sure my appreciation for them will grow as well.
‘Funeral’ opens with the first installment of the neighborhoods and I am finding it difficult to get by the vocalist. It is similar to The Flaming Lips week for me, but this week, the vocalist sounds like he is 80 years old to me. The accordion, bass line, and violin overpowered the vocals for me on ‘Laika’, but the lyrics were absolutely bizarre. Something about the combination of vampires and disco lights fail to connect with me. For not really being up my alley, ‘Une Annee Sans Lumiere’ was a beautiful song. My French is a little rusty, but I am pretty sure I don’t get what it is about either. ‘Power Out’ is a truly amazing song. The lyrics are so poetic and have so many layers to them. I have to say this has some of the best songwriting Music Togetherness has seen thus far. The instrumentation is a nice touch as well as there is almost an industrial sound to this one. A song like this really gets you thinking about the meaning of life and the future of mankind. ‘The Crown of Love’ was another well written poetic track, but again, the vocals were almost unbearable on this one. ‘Wake Up’ hinted on the same topic of ‘Power Out’, and now takes the perspective of it is too late for him, but at least the children have a chance of making it to heaven. This one had another beautiful bass line and violin to it. ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ was another well written song and was an interesting take on our dreams vs. reality. Wikipedia says it had the most commercial success and I probably would have guessed this one. ‘In the Backseat’ was another incredible song with the perfect analogy for dealing with the death of a loved one, in this case her mother. I would have bet a considerable amount that Bjork provided a guest vocal for that song, but turns out Regine has a very similar vocal. All and all, this was a very impressive album. The vocals were a little weak, but there were certainly a few moments that approach epic status.
ReplyDeleteThe opening track of neon Bible is a very odd one. As David mentioned, they like to throw in some miscellaneous instruments from time to time and this one is kind of like a rock song, but then has other moments that sound like something from John Williams week. The songwriting was still clever though, I just think their method of telling that story is a bit over the top. It is very difficult to take in the message with such a wide assortment of ‘noise’ coming through the speakers. ‘Keep the Car Running’ doesn’t even sound like it belongs on the same album as ‘Black Mirror.’ This track, along with several others like ‘Intervention’ and ‘Ocean of Noise’, from all standpoints reminds me of Bruce Springsteen week with a more soulful vocal and more of a focus of the lead guitar. I guess I don’t understand why they would take their own unique sound on ‘Funeral’ (which didn’t scream Talking Heads to me), and try to reinvent the wheel with someone else’s sound. ‘Black Wave/Bad Vibrations’ was as heavy as it gets for Arcade Fire. This really comes off as a Rock Anthem and I really love the heavy drums and the female vocal. This particular vocal almost sounded like a child and gave this song a sense of innocence and beauty. ‘(Antichrist Television Blues)’ was a very long, but clever track about a man recognizing the innocence within his daughter and how he doesn’t want the big bad world to take that away from her. ‘Wanna hold a mirror up to the world, So that they can see themselves inside my little girl!’ What a spot on lyric that would help solve a lot of our problems if everyone took a second to attempt that feat. I really enjoyed the tracks with their own unique sound and avoided the copycat tendencies. They certainly have talent both with the instruments, but most notably with the pen and paper.
ReplyDeleteGrooveshark didn’t do us any favors with this last album, so I apologize if I review these in the wrong order. I was very pleased to hear Arcade Fire come up with their own sound again on the Suburbs. ‘Ready to Start’ was another very interesting take on the break up song. The lyrics again were very deep and were similar to ‘In the Backseat’ as far as its impact on me. ‘Empty Room’ had a very fast pace for them which completely contradicts the lyrics of this track. It is difficult to interpret, but I think it is about being in a room where a loved one once was. Maybe I am way off, but if I’m right, then the pace just didn’t make sense if the goal was for us to make an emotional connection with the song. After two Springsteen-esque tracks in the Half-Light(s), I forget who we are reviewing and think I accidentally selected a Beach Boys song in Suburban War. The vocalist sound just like Brian Wilson for a moment, but then the keyboard kicks in and brings me back to Arcade fire. Not too often outside of a Maynard song that you hear references to the Apocalypse (learn to swim), but ‘Deep Blue’ takes that dangerous step and provides a new perspective that is much more positive than how Maynard spins it.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorite David picks thus far along with Hendrix and The National. I can only see me liking the first and third albums more and more with each subsequent listen.
Much like The Decemberists, Arcade Fire was once a young indie band being showered with praises after releasing their debut album. I was immediately turned off by the hype, and thus never gave them a chance until this week. I did listen to a few individual tracks off of Funeral a few years ago but was not blown away by what I heard, and continued to shun Win Butler and his band. I am writing this as a finish my first run through of Funeral and I once again find myself late to the party on a dynamic group.
ReplyDelete“Neighborhood #1” hints at the great songwriting that prevails throughout Funeral, singing about lovers being snowed in and climbing out through chimneys and tunneling out to see each other and how being caught up in a new relationship can blind us to everything else in our life. “Neighborhood #2” finds Win doing his best Isaac Brock impersonation; this track could easily be on a Modest Mouse album. The last 40 seconds of “Une Annee Sans Lumiere” are well worth the wait with its pogo punk breakdown. “Neighborhood #3” is a very metaphoric look at the limbo we find ourselves in after recently losing a loved one, the ice covering parents hands and the lyrics about going out into the night looking for light resonates for me. The accompaniment on “Neighborhood #4” is gorgeous, the strings are delicate and Win’s voice has a desperation that fits the story perfectly. The harsh realizations of mortality and maturity are presented to us in the bigger-than-life anthem “Wake Up”, it does a great job of not coming off preachy and demands repeat listenings. A song like “Rebellion” would be better served with a more authoritative vocal; Win is a great songwriter but his wavering voice doesn’t do some of his lyrics justice. Regine absolutely shines on the album closer “In The Backseat”, unlike Win, she controls the track and seems to be conducting the rest of the band with her beautiful falsetto. With most debuts, a band is usually searching for their signature sound; Arcade Fire display an understanding and musical proficiency of a band past their years.
I feel like a broken record since everybody else has mentioned the Bruce Springsteen comparisons on Neon Bible, but it’s impossible to ignore. The E-Street band would be proud of the head-nodding drumming and the honky-tonk guitar strumming during “Keep The Car Running”; even Win’s cadence as he delivers the lines “If some night I don’t come home, please don’t think I’ve left you alone” eerily echo the Boss and his nights in New Jersey. The albums title track followed by “Intervention” give a spiritual feel to the album. The solemn “Neon Bible” works in the context of the album, but doesn’t work as a stand alone track; directly followed by the powerful pipe-organ fueled “Intervention” which I take as contrasting perspectives of a soldier who is slowly losing faith in his God and his family back home who is leaning heavily on their religion in their hard times. Once again “Ocean of Noise” is reminiscent of a Springsteen tale about a mysterious character who is trying to run away from his problems, this time with a woman. “(Antichrist Television Blues)” is just embarrassingly ripping off Bruce in every single way possible, all the way down to the line “If that mockingbird won’t sing, then daddy won’t buy her no diamond ring”; if I want the Boss I’ll put on Born To Run, not Neon Bible! “No Cars Go” returns us to an original sound with Win and Regine sharing vocal duties and hitting a homerun; the band builds a noisy but impressive backdrop to this triumphant but too late gem. I enjoyed “My Body is a Cage” as the albums personifying final track; it comes across as a shady but repentant evangelical preacher guilty of stealing but doing it in flashy manor.
ReplyDeleteDavid knows this but I thought I'd apologize to all of you as well - I have been working on freelance jobs all weekend and I haven't gotten a chance until now to sit down and write this...
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Arcade Fire week starts off super strong with my favorite album of the week, "Funeral." Because of the name, this album drew my attention more than the rest of our selection - but it was the blend of hard, deep guitar and light, uplifting piano on the first track that sucked me into the music itself. Already, I can see what David meant by epic. The band has such a big sound, yet it's the little parts here and there that play with your emotions and allow you to make an intimate connection. "Neighborhood #2" took me back to Decemberists week, which was fairly new to me even though it was my pick (and as you'll remember was a big hit with everyone). It's the accordion and strings, really, but also the power injected by the lead singer's voice. Not usually a voice that would have the power to pull me in, I think it works for me here because of how well it fits the music - a perfect package. His voice is much more likeable on the third track, and harmonizes well with the female voice. It's quite pretty really. "Neighborhood #3" was either played by David extensively in the house where I could hear it, or it was used on some commercial. I read that it was the third single released from the album, but I don't know who would have played it, but I know it was familiar before this week. Despite its subject, lyrically, the music is kind of uplifting and energizing to me. While "Neighborhood #4" is still a strong track, it doesn't have the umph I was getting used to with the other tracks so far on this album. "Wake Up" is another familiar tune. You may recognize it from one of the "Where the Wild Things Are" promos last year. There's a lot of emotion in the song, and I think the title is really fitting because of the feeling it gives listeners. "Haiti" has a unique sound that sets it apart from the other tracks here. The lyrics seem to be sung from so far away, and the music (from the strings to the beat) take on an almost dream-like quality. The piano line in "Rebellion" is like a buildup to the tension in the chorus - great song. The female voice on "In the Backseat" is haunting and beautiful. After growing on me with each subsequent listen, this became one of my favorite tracks of the week. This is definitiely one of my all time favorite Music Togetherness albums.
"Neon Bible" certainly starts off with a darker tone on "Black Mirror." Thankfully, around the 1:30 mark it gets a little more uplifting, but it still took me a while to come down from the high I got off "Funeral." Things get lighter again on "Keep the Car Running." It flows well. Not a fan of the title track... it's so slow it's kind of jarring at this point. "Intervention," being the complete opposite of "Neon Bible" is both scary (at first, the organ) and super awesome - landing itself in my top tracks of the week category. I'm concentrating so hard on liking the music here though that I don't think I'm getting the full impact of the lyrics. But I cna at least that they are genuine and full of emotion. As David and Justin mentioned already, I'm starting to hear more of the Bruce Springsteen influence. The next two tracks don't do much for me... although "The Well and the Lighthouse" is redeeming. I'm glad to hear the organ back on "My Body is a Cage," but in the end, this album doesn't compare to "Funeral." Still not a terrible effort by any means, but significantly less awesome than my first experience with the band.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I got the feeling by the first track, that this album was going to be more fulfilling to me than the last. The title track has its deep moments but the music feels more lighthearted. By "Ready to Start," I'm already tapping my fingers. The strings on "Rococo" serve as another example of the band's ability to sound "epic," by way of instrumentals. I can't say much for the words in the chorus, but oh well. Love the superfast strings on "Empty Room." This song has a feel and a musical quality that borders on new territory for the band, in my opinion. With more emphasis on her voice (and not as a sweet, pretty melody), this could almost sound like another band for me. "City with No Children" sounds like an oldie to me, something I can appreciate, with its smooth and even melody and clapping beat. "Half Light II" sounds almost 80s with its spacey quality. The guitar has an awesome quality to it, almost Simon and Garfunkel-like, on "Suburban War." Similar to my interest in the guitar on that track, I love the piano/keyboard on "We Used to Wait." It sounds like it's from another time. "Sprawl I" takes on a beautiful quality that turns into another 80s-esque or even disco-type groove on "Sprawl II." The beginning of "Suburbs (Cont.)" reminds me of "Leave it to Beaver," but wraps up the album nicely. Overall, I liked it better than "Neon Bible," but still not close to as much as I liked "Funeral."
ReplyDeleteThis has definitely been one of my favorite weeks since we started Music Togetherness, and has fulfilled the project's purpose in my mind. I wanted to do Music Togetherness to find new bands to learn and love to play on repeat. "Funeral" is probably going to be in my rotation for quite awhile. More than anything, I just love the feelings Arcade Fire radiate - its almost infectious. I could probably get even more into it if I sat around thinking and analyzing the lyrics, but for a band to put out music that can make a person feel a certain way regardless of the lyrical content (good or bad) is something impressive. One day the meaning of these songs will seep in even more and my appreciation for the band will grow stronger stil. Great week!
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to The Suburbs, I understand that this band is still trying to figure out who they are musically. While they built a triumphant sound on Funeral, The Suburbs expose a band that wishes to be more than that. The self-titled opener is playful but poignant and sets the course for a tour de force for this band. Much like Funeral, there is a sound that demands to be heard. There is an epiphany reached in “Ready To Start” that exemplifies a new plateau in the musical maturity of Arcade Fire. Instead of embodying their heroes, they are building upon the greatness of past trailblazers like Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads, and U2. “Modern Man” gives perspective to the drag that is the 21st century 9 to 5, that recalls David Byrne’s mechanical lyrics from Talking Heads week. There is a originality and freeness to their music that was sparse in Neon Bible. On “Rococo” there is a freedom to explore space in the instrumentation, that doesn’t border on “jam” music but builds upon the lyrics about hipsters that feed stupid trends only to watch them burn and die. I truly love Regine, and wish she appeared more on tracks like “Empty Room”; she always breathes fresh air into Win’s vocals and is an unsung hero of the band. I think the reverence they were keeping in Neon Bible, kept them from creatively exploring like they are on this album. The driving beat of “Month of May” is reminiscent of TV on the Radio’s “Halfway Home”. There is a definite familiarity and accessibility that is inviting in this albums sound. I can’t wait to listen to this album again, and eagerly await the chance to see these gifted players live.
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