Arcade Fire came into prominence with the help of the critics, but they only brought to everyone's attention what Arcade Fire had going for themselves: a 10-song album that is gorgeous and full of heart, and clearly one of the best albums to come out in the past 10 years.
The band is a 7-person "family," adding more to their numbers on tour. Their instrumentation ranges from the simple to the obscure (you won't hear many bands using the hurdy-gurdy), but it never gets anywhere close to novelty act. The songs themselves are epic heartaches about growing up and the pains of love, but there is something subtly political in there, specifically in songs like "Wake Up" (the band would later explore this more fully on Neon Bible).
The weakest song, in my opinion, is Neighborhood #2, but its only in relation to the slew of brilliant songs here. Their size and their passion make for the most purely full sound, not "fixed" with production or filler orchestras, but just a band of kids playing their bodies weak.
Rating: 10/10
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