Arcade Fire - EP

The first collection of the Arcade Fire's music--self-released at the band's concerts in 2003--is now re-released, letting fans see the sprawling splendor of the band's earliest work.

Don't expect an extension of Funeral, though. This EP was recorded two years and several personal upheavals before Arcade Fire's full-length debut, so it has a very different sound--the sound of a lush, melancholy band figuring out its musical style.

It starts off on a high note with "Old Flame," before stumbling slightly with a mellow, meandering rocker with Régine Chassagne's eerie vocals taking the lead. After that, Arcade Fire dabbles in dreamy folk-rock for awhile, before climaxing into the exquisite "Vampire Forest Fire," a painful look at destructive families. "You wanna be set apart?/Burn all of your art/repair the wasteful part/I'm a vampire in a forest fire..."

It's hard not to be smitten with Arcade Fire. Ever since several nu-psychedelic bands went off the radar, it's become difficult to find bands that are brave enough to experiment, but able to keep it accessable. Enter Arcade Fire, a Montreal-based band that does both, a refreshing change in the world of increasingly stale music.

The self-titled EP isn't quite as wildly unique as the band's later work; some of the songs have echoes of Mercury Rev or fellow Canadians Broken Social Scene. The thing is, they're really good echoes. And the songs that they echo through are very good work, rich and complex, putting the musical and lyrical talents of Arcade Fire to work.

Much like their later work, there isn't a lot of happy-happy-joy to be found here. Either the stuff is ambiguous, like "I'm sleeping in a battle ship," or Arcade Fire is musing on loneliness, fear, sorrow, romantic unworthiness, and deserted countrysides. Even the relatively hopeful "Headlights Look Like Diamonds" has a mournful edge: "Tell me how this story ends/Before the fires go cold..."

The Arcade Fire's debut EP is a must-have for fans of this unique band. While not as powerful or unique as their full-length album, it's still a richly engaging EP.

Official Website

Kludge brings you music and politics

Sign up to our Mailing List - Receive monthly updates on our insightful articles, music reviews, monthly streams and mp3s - no spam! no list sales!

Unsubscribe

Reader's Comments: