Funeral
It's tough to say anything about this record that hasn't already been said in a hundred other reviews. Nonetheless, it never hurts to try. On their debut LP Funeral, Arcade Fire sound fresh, invigorated, and confident. The band stylistically apes a number of great classic artists, not to mention some much more modern ones. Their style of pairing upbeat melodies with dark, brooding lyrics is taken directly from contemporaries Of Montreal, who have been writing quirky, downtrodden pop songs for years. What sets Arcade Fire apart from many indie bands doing a similar sort of thing, such as the Besnard Lakes, is their taste for production and songwriting, which really can't be matched by their direct competitors. The songs are lively and passionate, though often enough they stray and overstay their welcome. Seven out of ten tracks on this record clock in near or over five minutes when many of them would have been tighter and more enjoyable at four.

Songs such as opener "Tunnels" and track three "Une Annee Sans Lumiere" have bright and creative instrumentation, though Arcade Fire is hardly the first band to get so creative in their use of older 'uncool' instruments. The Decemberists have been using things like glockenspiel and lap steel since their first EP. At the end of the day, Funeral is a spry and enjoyable debut, but like many good things, it gets a little more credit than it is due, resulting in the polarization of rabid fans and detractors, leaving little room for casual fans to have any say about the band. Funeral is a great record, but it isn't life-changing or future-forging the way many critics say, but songs like "Power Out" will leave little doubt as to whether or not this album is worth the dough.

Crazy but very GOOD!!!
Didn't like it too much at first but it grows on you after 2 weeks.. i think my mind couldn't categorize the music maybe?? it's all i listen to when i work out now.. 8 of the songs are great.. 2 are ok.. Track 2 is incredible.. read the words on the lyric sheet on that one and you will be cracking up.. crazy crazy sometimes but some songs are very touching and personal.. cool CD - the neighbors must think i'm nuts with how i blast it in the garage every sunday.. that's ok.. if the neighbors don't like it "THEY CAN DANCE IN THE POLICE DISCO LIGHTS!" (SEE TRACK 2).. get this it is nuts and emotional and sometimes slow but GOOD !!!

another great find by merge
no one has a better ear for new bands then mac and laura from Merge, and no one from Canada has such an original inpact on my indie rock music than tne Arcade fire.

Repetitive
*Review From A Classic Rock Fan
I found this album to be very repetitive. Maybe not in the song structures or lyrics, but in the sound. I have listened to this five times now and I still have not found an amazing song that really sticks out among the rest. The upside to this however is that there is not a bad note, making this album just OK. It is the album's sound that has probably made it so popular, because then there is not much room for criticism. However, that is why I like there next album so much more, because it is so much more diverse, and something that I would recommend well before this one.

New to Arcade Fire
I ordered this cd back in January 08 out of curiosity--had read great reviews of both this and Neon Bible but had hever actually heard anything by them. I honestly was blown away. This is the best cd on the whole that I have ever heard. The packaging actually came with 2 cd's so I gave the extra one to my sister and told her I heard they were good. Two days later she emails me to tell me it was her new favorite cd. My only regret was that I caught on to them too late to catch them on tour for Neon Bible (which I immediately bought and is also 5 stars). I just received the debut EP and can't wait to get to know it. If you're on the fence about these guys or just curious, do yourself a favor and order something by them. They are incredible.