The title of The Arcade Fire’s debut Lp, while not in reference to the music, is meant literally. In the months leading up to recording, bandmember Regine Chassagne’s grandmother passed away. Less than a year later Win and William Butler’s grandfather died and bandmate Richard Parry’s aunt the following month. In the liner notes you’ll find their dedication towards the bottom of the second page, a total of nine names arranged beneath it. It is presumably for them, the dearly departed, that the album earned it’s austere title, Funeral. In contrast to the dark themes and melancholy that could mire an album made during such a period of loss, Funeral bristles with life. It is the sound of six young souls raging against the dying of light and it is one of the most exciting records of the year.
The Arcade Fire’s Official Website
A full review of Funeral at Pitchfork