album #16

funeral (arcade fire)

Neon Bible is blacks and deep blues, cold airy grays; Funeral is pale lilacs and pinks with bright blues, Matisse colors, April with a chill in the air. It's a sweeter, more radiant album, it's my preferred Arcade Fire album.

Some of the tracks are a little slow for my taste- pretty, but slow; many others are real gems. I've always loved the delicate dance of piano that introduces the album, on "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"- with the movement of the cello, the yearning yelp of the vocals, it's a hopeful opener stretching towards the sunlight. I've always loved the vaguely Eastern European flavor of "Laika," the tense rhythm; the classic, towering, glowering guitars of "Power Out," the most badass moment of the record (and I'll always remember this song from Aziz Ansari's bit about, like, maybe tostitos scoops, some product that would Not fit for this theme song). "Haiti" is a longtime favorite, something about the cool aqua melody, the tropical twinkle in the chorus. And "Rebellion" is an all time great song- pulsing, beautiful, melodic, full of life and drama and somehow tethered, contained- except for certain moments of release.

This album feels completely sincere- there's a sense of pain and also a sense of childlike wonder, but it all feels very heartfelt, very sweet. It's hopeful. I haven't always Loved this album, but it's earnest, and clearly lovely.