 by Ian Anderson
The Arcade Fire’s debut album Funeral isn’t even three months old yet, but the Montreal seven-piece has already created an increasingly sizeable buzz on Hipster Street—and it’s not just because of the constant Pixies references or cool Debussy name drops. There’s just something undeniably compelling about a mini-orchestra fusing accessible indie-rock with more subtle nuanced forms of artistic expression.
Download an mp3 of the Arcade Fire’s song Neighborhood #3 (Power Out).
Although an ominous title, Funeral isn’t a cataloging of close-knit
deaths but rather, a documentation of stories about growing up and what that process
actually entails.
 “It’s
a collection of songs with different characters,” offers front man Win Butler
via telephone during the band’s current tour. “And we’re trying
to build a home for those characters. What happens when the power cuts out, or
if there is a snow storm, or if someone dies?”
Funeral boasts excellent atypical rock instrumentation; 12-string guitars,
harp, violin, cello, double bass and even an accordion make appearances. The unique
accompaniments give the album a resplendent sense of elegance, refining the standard
indie feel into something much more grandiose.
“We’re not really just a straight-up guitar band,” claims Butler.
“We use them, but there are other textures that we want. It’s never
been our goal to be too straightforward. The instrumentation will always change,
we’ll always try new things with new sounds.”
This lavishness, however, doesn’t make the record feel pretentious or extravagant,
it remains honest and deliberate, making it that much more poetic. And that poeticism
is more accidental than intentional, which makes the album still even more poetic
(follow me?).
 “There
isn’t any underlying meaning that I could tell you,” says Butler.
“I don’t know what music you could say has a meaning. It has to do
with the friendship of the people involved, staying up late and writing and playing
piano.”
Reverb-soaked guitars and upright pianos fill in the gaps between the band and
the husband-wife creative force of Butler and Regine Chassagne. Straddling the
line between manic depression and swaggering optimism, Butler’s voice possesses
a hint of pride, as if his feeling of triumph over an adversity that had been
following him for some time has yet to fade. Butler’s caustic, wavering
vocal outbursts are complimented effectively by Chassagne’s distanced, and
often Francophone, accompaniment. Although Chassagne’s voice primarily takes
a back seat on Funeral—periodically chipping in with warm counter-melodies—she
finally gets her chance at the spotlight on the last track, “In the Backseat.”
Chassagne doesn’t waste the opportunity—showcasing her Bjork-esque,
ass-kicking ability, while screaming her message of bereavement: “My family
tree’s / losing all its leaves.”
Chassagne and Butler both lost grandparents last year, which isn’t necessarilly
the direct inspiration for the album, but hardly seems coincidental on an album
where references to death abound. Funeral’s other dominant images
are of suburbia.
“There’s some images that are of suburban towns in the songs,”
explains Butler. “Especially my background growing up, Regine too. Totally
different suburbs, but they possess certain commonalities.”
 Butler,
originally from suburban Texas, moved to Montreal as a student, where he met Richard
Perry. Ensuite, string extraordinaire and Montreal music scene veteran Sarah Neufeld
joined the band, just before keyboardist, Chassagne.
“I was playing with some people in Montreal and met Regine,” chronicles
Butler. “The second lineup of the band broke up in a tragic way. We were
all brought together through a mutual friendship and respect for each other’s
stuff, and just started playing. It was really natural, we wanted to play together
and it grew out of that. There wasn’t any brand or design, it just came
out naturally.”
This unforced evolution shines through in Funeral’s cohesiveness,
even as it aims for the epic. Amidst all the solid craftsmanship, however, there
are two crucial tracks that manage to stand out. The first is “Crown of
Love,” a docile waltz about high school love.
“To me, it’s a funny story because it’s about adolescent love,”
shares Butler. “So I think there’s a certain kind of melodramatic
nature to it. It’s a kind of intense, guilty love that you can only experience
between the ages of 16 and 18.”
This honest and yet irrational love that embodies the song speaks a truth that
connects with the rest of the album as a whole, where desperation and love are
only a few steps apart.
The second essential track, “Neighborhood #2,” is about the Russian
space program sending a dog into space, may be one of the best songs of the year.
“It’s a great story about a dog being the first living creature in
space,” Butler said. “Doing this spectacular thing, but not having
food and watching itself fall back into the earth.”
 At
first, a disarming accordion introduces the main theme, which eventually turns
into sad strings swirling around the melody. Butler’s distorted vocals preach
the story of “Alexander” being sent on a “great adventure.”
But never fear, this great adventure, which will no doubt end in his death, is
for the “good of the neighborhood.” The almost anthemic tale also
possesses an abrasive, unsettling feel, casting the song in a creepy light. As
on the rest of the album, deceivingly catchy melodies are complemented by equally
catchy dark lyrics.
“It’s hard to have things that impact you in your personal life not
affect your art,” Butler said. “But we weren’t trying to eulogize
anyone.”
It’s a rare event when the hype surrounding a band can be trusted; even
less common is an indie band pushing the borders of creativity and expression
within the increasingly narrowing genre. Keep putting quarters in. ||
The Arcade Fire performs on Sat. Nov. 27 at the 400 Bar
with Haley Bonar. 9 p.m. 21+. $10. 400 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-332-22903.
Download an mp3 of the Arcade Fire’s song Neighborhood #3 (Power Out).
Check
out more of the Arcade Fire online at ArcadeFire.com.
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