FUNERAL

no one has a better ear for new bands then mac and laura from Merge, and no one from Canada has such an original inpact on my indie rock music than tne Arcade fire.

*Review From A Classic Rock Fan
I found this album to be very repetitive. Maybe not in the song structures or lyrics, but in the sound. I have listened to this five times now and I still have not found an amazing song that really sticks out among the rest. The upside to this however is that there is not a bad note, making this album just OK. It is the album's sound that has probably made it so popular, because then there is not much room for criticism. However, that is why I like there next album so much more, because it is so much more diverse, and something that I would recommend well before this one.

I ordered this cd back in January 08 out of curiosity--had read great reviews of both this and Neon Bible but had hever actually heard anything by them. I honestly was blown away. This is the best cd on the whole that I have ever heard. The packaging actually came with 2 cd's so I gave the extra one to my sister and told her I heard they were good. Two days later she emails me to tell me it was her new favorite cd. My only regret was that I caught on to them too late to catch them on tour for Neon Bible (which I immediately bought and is also 5 stars). I just received the debut EP and can't wait to get to know it. If you're on the fence about these guys or just curious, do yourself a favor and order something by them. They are incredible.

I am a recent fan of AF and started with Neon Bible. This debut album reminds of the feeling of pure raw driven energy I heard in the first efforts by The Cure, U2, Cranberries and Talking Heads. This is not to say AF's sound is similar to those bands but that I heard unique genuine compositions coming from the heart with potential for greatness. Those other bands went on to more polished sophisticated and popular work but the early stuff containing the seeds of success has an unadulterated feel that cannot be matched. My favorites are Wake up, Haiti, Rebellion. Even after weeks of repeated listening I'm still overcome when Regine begins "Haiti, mon pays ..."

The Arcade Fire in a strange way became the sort of "go to" band for anyone craving anything indie. While other bands have had success, more talk and discussion were placed on this band to the point I was worried they were becoming a victim of overexposure; the band to "save us from the awfulness of rock" as it were. While there is a bit of overhyped feelings, it's hard not to see how good it felt to not see a band bogged down by MOR-ready sounds. Sounding unique yet strangely familiar, reminscent of other bands without ripping them off, Funeral is a good example of a debut album of a band confident right out of the gate.

The album starts with probably my favorite album opener in years, "Neighborhood # 1 (Tunnels)". Being part 1 of 4 parts, this starts out with a more steady beat and vocalist Win Butler's impassioned singing, the song seems to almost crescendo and build for the whole thing. Even though I can't sing, I can't help but sing the falsettos at the end and rock out. It's too bad part 2, called "Laika" followed it since it's a strong track with its harmonic-tinged guitar, and what sounds like a accordian or a musette, it's certainly unique and catchy but again, too bad Tunnels was played first.

Then of course we come to probably the most well-known track, part 3 entitled "Power Out" which is just energetic and propulsive. It may not be catchy in an radio sense and even on first listen, I didn't care much for it but it grew quite quickly. The last part, entitled "7 Kettles" is an acoustic track with some percussion thrown in and it almost feels like a pub song by way of a Celtic beat (though I might be off on that).

"Wake Up" is just as energetic as "Power Out" with big choir-esque parts and a catchy main riff, it's another album highlight and became a live favorite. Then we come down to "Rebellion (Lies)" which continues the sound of having a steady beat and the song building as it progresses. My one complaint is the "liiees, liiies" hook during the chorus; I don't mind the hook, just the vocal used but still, it's quite a catchy song and could see why it was a single. The closer has co-vocalist and Butler's wife Regine Chassagne taking over the vocals. It still has the big guitar riffs, pianos, strings and whatnot but it's not as epic sounding has something like Tunnels or Wake Up which kind of helps with the album's title and subject matter. Not my favorite track but a decent closer.

The Arcade Fire is quickly becoming one of the more promising bands to me and if they keep it up, they can also be one of the new millennium's best. Hopefully they don't burn out too quickly though.