Arcade Fire
Funeral

THE REVIEW

In these times of rampant downloading, blogs, portals, and everything that the internet thrives on, nothing seems to be inaccessible anymore. In fact, in recent years (we’re talking about music, but also about cinema and literature), it has become possible to get to know many realities quite far from us, most of the time without much difficulty. Just think about the latest chronological discoveries. Starting from that much-praised (perhaps too much) teen movie called Donnie Darko, produced a couple of years ago and poorly received in its home country and then, thanks to a whirlwind of word of mouth, distributed worldwide. Or Dave Eggers, the author of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," who suddenly became a significant exponent of certain contemporary literature that casts a gaze on the concept of the post-modern.
Or, lastly, speaking of musical phenomena, those Radio Dept whose success owes everything to the word of mouth granted by the existence of thousands (millions?!) of blogs present in the vast mouth of the net.
These are just three of the many cases (perhaps the most overrated ones) that exploded in the last couple of years, and the phenomenon has now become so compelling as to seem unstoppable.

The Arcade Fire, a Canadian combo of about fifteen members, are no exception. And perhaps this time we’ve got it. “Funeral,” officially released about a year ago in their home country and equipped with decent hype, has arrived here about a month ago. And here we go again.
It’s worth saying straight away, however, to avoid any misunderstanding, we are talking about a good album, which needs a few listens and perhaps a mind free of prejudice. I fell for it too. Initially, this story of the Canadian revolution, the word of mouth, the fact that every year should have its scene, its masterpieces that after ten listens go to die among the domestic dust.
In short, I had every possible and imaginable reason to doubt.

Yet, this debut by Arcade Fire is a great little album, filled as it is with intensity, emotions, and at least a handful of memorable songs. Masterpiece? Ohhhhhh, what a drag! Let’s forget that word for a moment and immerse ourselves, instead, in the vaporous atmospheres, sometimes not very vague, inspired by the '70s and the most inspired period of the White Duke. In this regard, listen to the opener and first track of the “neighborhood quadrilogy”(!?), Neighborhood#1 (Tunnels). Eh? So what do you think?
And what about the subsequent “Neighborhood#2 (Laika)”, a dragging composition full of that charming and irresistible ‘80s mist that brings us closer to Echo And The Bunnymen atmospheres and a Talking Heads inclination, characterized by excellent arrangement and beautiful accordion counterpoints? Contagiously romantic.

The most surprising thing is that, despite our heroes being scattered across dozens and dozens of influences, the ensemble ultimately remains not very dispersive and well-calibrated.
There is no lesser track in the lineup, only some that stand out more. The fascinating Une Année Sans Lumière or the wave and dance temptations of the third chapter of the quadrilogy and Rebellion (Bowie is always around the corner), for instance. That sweet symphony of lost loves that is Crown Of Love. Remarkable. Here too, the Canadians play with more or less known references, sometimes even becoming a bit too grandiose and citationist, yet still more than credible thanks to enviable writing and command of their means.
The record sees its fulfillment in the gentle and nocturnal ballad In The Back Seat where one seems to hear the Portishead deprived of any electronic provocation in favor of the warmth of little more than an acoustic guitar, strings, and a very warm voice delivering the final blow. This is until halfway through, more or less, because in the refrain an electric guitar breaks, albeit moderately, the initial calm, and it’s really a beautiful sound.

Well done, no doubt about it. And then, that cover... uhmm, one of the most beautiful in recent times.