The Arcade Fire

To be perfectly truthful, when I first heard about The Arcade Fire about two or three years ago, I was very analytical with them. This was before I was really immersed in this dense music scene known simply as "indie," so I was thoroughly out of the loop at the time.

But I caught wind of several of the songs off their latest album at the time, Funeral, and was intrigued. The mix of harmonic lyrics that were quite deep though vague, with extended instrumental ritornelles featuring heavy emphasis on string instruments like violin and cello, was a huge shift in most of the general music trends I had been hearing. Not only did that make them thoroughly stand out, but also their blaring electric guitar riffs are truly unique - hearing them paired with the already thematic elements that the string instruments (as aforementioned: violin, cello, etc.) invoke, the waves of sound plaster your senses with thoughts and feelings.

When the video for Rebellion (Lies) premiered on MTV2 (I was an avid viewer at the time - this was when I began to realize how grotesque and poisonous MTV is to independent artists), I was hooked. I soon after got the cd, sat down, and gave it a listen.
But somehow, I was more disappointed than I figured I'd be.

Neighborhood #1 introduces the album, starting quiet until it builds into a crescendo which sets a strong mood and speed the album is to follow. Neighborhood #2 comes next, taking that speed to another level. Une Annee Sans Lumiere is your breather with a slow song before they burst forth again with Neighborhood #3. The entire record thus far is a steady, progressive ride, and quite exciting.

But to change the mood, they follow with Neighborhood #4. Now don't get me wrong, it's a great song. But the switch from VERY fast, to significantly slower threw me off. Then they slowed even more with Crown Of Love, a very emotional, very slow tune. It's not like I'm against slow songs or anything, but this huge switch in mood and speed turned me off to the rest of the album. I got frustrated with Funeral, and at this point in the album would tend to put it away. I would usually be found calling Arcade Fire "good, but overrated."





Well, a long time of disinterest passes until I find myself wandering iTunes and see their self titled EP. I thought, hey, why wouldn't I give it a go? I can't have a well rounded opinion without hearing more of their material, right?
I really love their EP - it's unique compared to their other works. Almost the whole album takes a slower speed, therefore making you be patient with their music. They also tended to stay on the quiet side; their form developing had not granted the long, mind numbingly symphonic instrumentals that I adore in their style. But all the songs have some sort of hook, and can keep you interested. I gained a better opinion of them, but was stubborn; The Arcade Fire now regained my listening pleasure, but they haven't proved themselves just yet.


This year, they finally released their latest album, Neon Bible. I still held the idea that they were put on their pedestal by pretentious snobs who read too many Pitchfork articles. But eventually, I broke down and gave Neon Bible a chance.

I was dumbfounded. The ENTIRE album is progressive; Neon Bible takes advantage of their speed with mostly fast songs. When they do transition into slow songs, they have their rightful place inbetween their more hasty counterparts. Also, calling them quiet is an injustice in itself, they keep them progressive, and they can have their strong outbursts of noise; the transitioning from fast-to-slow-to-fast works well, and only the song Neon Bible seems a bit forced into place, but is quickly forgiven with it's content.

Furthermore, the heavy instrumental breaks I fancied from Funeral were given strong emphasis, and are always a delight to hear, especially since the songs are crunched down in to hyper, fast paced rushes of sound.


I have since fallen in love with Arcade Fire, and have a strong respect for their music now, new and old. It's hard to say whether Neon Bible or Funeral is better. I'd almost be willing to say Funeral due to the more complex songs, but with moving tracks such as Keep The Car Running, (Antichrist Television Blues), Intervention (with some ASTOUNDING church organ playing!), and a reprise of No Cars Go, it'll forever be debated with myself, I predict.

One note that sets Neon Bible apart from Funeral is their recording processes. While Funeral had a significant amount of it's material recorded at the infamous Hotel2Tango, (think about bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Bell Orchestre, Wolf Parade, A Silver Mt. Zion), Neon Bible was recorded at a series of churches, most notably at St. James Anglican Church in Quebec, and most profoundly at Eglise St. Jean Baptist, Montreal, where they were able to record Intervention and other songs with a real pipe organ. But the audio recorded within these churches brings a whole different feel if you have room to respect the quality. It's hard to shake the imagination of the band just playing away near the altar, the wonderful melodies bouncing off stone walls and shaking the stained glass.





It is the bands I listen to, such as The Arcade Fire, which make me love music. I'm eternally indebted to my music the items of: one infinity, and maybe a cup of warm, sweet tea, for teaching me how to think, feel, and be. This is why I love music.