Arcade Fire

The band I bring to you is a little different in several ways. You might have actually heard of Arcade Fire before. You might even like them, considering how they are not heavily distorted and can sing in key. Lastly, they have many members playing many different instruments throughout their shows.

By Jessie Farine

Staff Writer

The band I bring to you is a little different in several ways. You might have actually heard of Arcade Fire before. You might even like them, considering how they are not heavily distorted and can sing in key. Lastly, they have many members playing many different instruments throughout their shows.

Eight men and women make up the core of the Montreal-based indie rock band, Arcade Fire, playing not only the standard guitar, drums, and bass core of any typical rock band, but a slew of additional instruments like violins, pianos, accordions, pipe organs, French horns, and glockenspiels. With the entire band doing vocals in support of lead singers, Win and Régine, Arcade Fire sounds much more like a glorious symphony than your average band on the Juno soundtrack.

Attention turned towards Arcade Fire when they released Funeral in late 2004. Aptly named Regine’s grandmother, the album encompasses a rage of emotions and fits will with the mood surrounding a funeral. This is due to the face that several family members of the band passed away within the year it was released. Don’t think this is all about mourning and melancholy though; while songs like “In the Backseat” are certainly mournful, other songs are more hopeful, or cheerful and upbeat like “Rebellion (Lies).”

“Wake Up,” one of the stand-out tracks on the album (listen to it on their Myspace!), demonstrates how some songs on the album even change mood midway through, going from a driving and powerful rock-choir ballad into something that would sound at home at a Christmas dance and lifts you off of your feet. The album closes with “In the Backseat” and Régine’s beautiful and earth-shattering crooning that comes straight from the deepest place in her heart.

Funeral made many top ten album lists in 2004, with three sources naming it album of the year. All that praise certainly doesn’t hurt; neither does impressing David Bowie. Arcade Fire recently released Neon Bible, their second album and also a winner. Buy both albums and doubly enjoy the dynamic experience.