Funeral

Regine is a wonderful singer, but I am deducting approximately 0.6 stars for her trying to be Bjork on "In The Backseat"

a truly beautiful album I wish wasn't so marred in my mind by some things that happened two decades later.

Fajn

Intro is insane. I love the kind of buildup all the way through. I also enjoy the calm bit of production on the third track. The fourth I love the end explosion with the tempo becoming faster. I LOVE crown of love, especially the switch and the lead vocalists voice. The outro was very good too. Overall I'd rate the album a solid 8/10. Consistent throughout.

This was a pleasant surprise. I had low expectations going in, due to only hearing their radio friendly tunes and not really liking them. But I was incorrect with my first assumptions, this album is pretty stellar, especially for a debut. I hear Abba, Bowie, U2 and a British football match. I can see why this is on so many best of lists. Walked the best friend around the block twice in-between downpours, really nice Sunday morning listen. The generator has been throwing me solids all week.

The power, epicness, and emotion of the best songs here really carry it into greatness. I'm talking about "Tunnels, "Power Out," "Wake Up," and "Rebellion" These songs hit me hard and evoke genuine emotion with their beauty. The rest of the songs range from Good, to skip, but the greatness of those mentioned above overshine them all by leaps and bounds. Great album.

Interesting

A near perfect album. I'll never get tired of it.

I hadn't heard this album for ages! Great album.

ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh who cares

Probably a big album for my millenial peers, but this was quite a boring listen for me.

An absolute pleasure. Such a creative album packed with great songs! Slightly biased as I discovered the album in my teens, but always a 5/5 from me!

oh. oh no

Arcade Fire did not deserve an album on this list, let alone two

Arcade Fire was such a great band in the 00’s, A lot of creativity showing new directions in Indie land. And this is just the beginning

Nostalgia galore! Not sure if I should feel sad! Treading between dreamy and sleepy!

Pretty good first half but a super strong finish. Maybe I see the hype now.

Really nice. Apparently I listened to a song already from this album, but I don't remember it. 9/10

Not weird enough to be interesting, not melodic enough to be pop The single (Wake Up) is undeniable though, it is better than the rest None of it quite felt finished Made me want to hear Bowie, sometimes The Strokes Meh

Power out is a highlight, great energy and rhythm. Lovely vocal melodies and powerful rhythm work throughout. Some lulls prevent it being 5 stars.

No idea how some of you like this, it's utter, utter wank

Enjoyed this when it came out and it still holds up.

Doesn’t really grab me

Interesting and creative, but I didn't really like the singers. Wake Up was really good.

4.2 - Know this album really well and it's still great. Hard to be subjective with this as it has a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in it

Wow, I can’t believe I’ve been sleeping on this album for so long, so good, such a great vibe, a great world-building album. Wake Up is so euphoric. Fave Tracks: Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) Wake Up, Haiti, Rebellion 4.8/5

What a way to kick off a carreer. Super solid from start to finish.

It was ok

Cool

Eh

There were a few songs that felt like they bled together a little bit for me, but overall I really enjoyed the variety, instrumentation, and lyrics in this album. Favorite songs: Neighborhood #2 & #4, Une Annee Sans Lumiere, Crown of Love, Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies), In the Backseat

Lowkey stomp clap hey music

Kjeeeeedelig. Det va ferdigspilt for ti minutter siden og æ har bare en vag idé om kordan sangan va, og absolutt null ønske om å høre dem igjen.

Didn't do much for me at all, appreciated the baroque elements and a somewhat unique sound but found it very boring

This album really pissed me off.

Wake up is a banger

I'd only heard of the Band name name before, but I knew nothing about them. I'm enjoying this; it has this kind of ethereal melodic flow going. It also work pretty cohesively

Ei tästä jäänyt mitään mieleen, ei jatkoon.

I never got into Arcade Fire, and this didn't change that for me. I think the songs are fine, but none of them grabbed me or particularly stuck out. The music is good, the vocals are okay. There are far better bands and albums in the world than this one.

If you like Arcade Fire, this is going to work for you. If not, you'll be put off a bit by the whining. It's just OK to me.

Another one I expected more from but this probably requires multiple spins. Rebellion is an awesome song and the vibe of the song certainly fits the title. Ultimately this is indi, hipster, I like it cause no one else does type music.

Liked some songs but not all. 4/5 :)

Uninspired. This whole album could have been a prompt.

So much beauty contained within 45 minutes. The songs are actually entrancing and mesmerizing, with the 'Neighborhood's and 'Rebellion' being quite phenomenal. I wouldn't call it a completely perfect album, as a little steam was lost in the second half, but the highs are so high that this deserves one of the greatest honors.

Dork and I are in disagreement when it comes to the best Arcade Fire album: Dork thinks this the best one, whereas I argue The Suburbs is the superior choice. Regardless, what we do agree on are they are both 5 star albums. Neighbour #2 is our favourite song, but the album is a cohesive, enjoyable ride from start to finish.

Decent, not my thing. A little spineless to be honest, like it lacked some semblance of any grit or strength. The best we got was the final song (In the Backseat). There's been better by Arcade Fire that's for sure, but it might just be hard to measure up to the Elbow album which is also in the generated lists and the Arcade Fire song Afterlife. 2.5/5 stars

Ok emo pop

It's a good record, a very artsy variation of indie rock, they're not afraid to mix different instruments and they build very beautiful musical pieces, specially with the strings sections they include. It also encapsulates a sort of nostalgia with the music and lyrics. The whole concept from the first part is interesting enough. That being said, while I appreciate the album, I didn't really connect with it that much. The best song for me was the very well known "Wake Up". "Neighborhood #3 Power Out" was also pretty good, with a higher intensity than the other tracks.

Alright actually

I had never listened to this before, the opening song blew me out. Such a strong emotions coming from it, it must have been great to see them at a festival. The rest of the album is very good as well, so 5 stars it is.

thank you generator gods! i was starting to worry i just dont like music lol. this album is so beautiful to me, and everything flows so well together, such a great execution of theme.

Listened before?: Oh yes, many times. This one's a favorite.

pretty good chill

Emotional, theatrical, and sweeping. It’s grand without being overblown, and the energy feels raw and real. A strong halfway marker.

one of the greatest albums of indie music.

Excellent

Not as good as I remember, apart from Wake Up

Great indie rock album. I like a different one from this band better, but this captures the sound and feel well enough

Perfection. My gateway album to a life of beautiful music and incredible live performances.

Tunnels is amazing man

A rich and well-made album, though not one that made a strong connection with me. I appreciated the big and heartfelt sound, though. Best song: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

too folksy for me

I still don’t really like Arcade Fire but I got a lot of nostalgia associated with this, my brother used to play a lot of these tracks when I was growing up! I think Neighborhood #1-3 are the strongest and actually kinda remind me of Modest Mouse in places, which is unexpected! Fuck Win Butler for sure tho

I've never been a diehard AF guy but everytime I listen to this one I really enjoy it! Sorry!

yea sorry but this was a certified crying on the floor album for me . love this bugger but honestly i think i outgrew it and this band is so despicable on so many levels LOL

Neighboorhood #3 (Power Out) is a Tour de force! But I am still not a fan of the singer’s voice. I preferred The Suburbs over this record. I did not like the overall sound and the occasional yelling eg on Wake Up frustrated me. Haiti and In The Backseat annoyed me too. I don’t know what exactly it is that put me off.

Nothing special, very much the sound of the time, but I didn't mind that today.

10/10

Wow, that's educated me, immensely talented band clearly, terrific sound, wonderful songs, great intensity, beautiful delivery 👌

Fun, and I like the sound, but too similar throughout to be an all-timer.

Ahh, Arcade Fire. I had a real phase in 2010 of listening to Ready to Start incessantly (with msn's "listening to" feature very casually turned on) because I wanted to be seen liking it, but not, as it actually turns out, because I liked it. Fast forward to 2025 and I have never listened to this album before but found myself walking a familiar path. Whilst professing to be pleased and allowing anyone within a two metre radius to get a peek over my shoulder at the subtly displayed album cover all day, I secretly yearned for the simple pleasure of a singalong banger. No more. This is my truth. This is precisely the kind of indie rock miscellany that I think I should think is cool but truthfully found formulaic, forgettable and... boring 😭 By the end of the day I was self-medicating with Louis Prima. I am going to be brave and admit this is a 3 for me - and my teenage self should thank me for the growth.

Chefs kiss

No private session used for Spotify. I have listened to this album in the past and I do like it. It's got a lot going on as far as instrumentation, tempo and key changes. Bit dramatic, but it works.

Seems like any other indie alr rock group at the time. Definitely inspired by neutral milk hotel. I can see why people like this but I like In the Aeroplane over the Sea a bit more than this.

Dritkjedelig klimprepop.

Already in my regular rotation. Classic.

Listenable.

Fav: In The Backseat Least Fav: Neighbourhood #4: (7 Kettles) Those last couple songs were so much better than the rest of the album

Pretty nice vibes.

8/10

This album is so beautiful and charming. I've been listening to this daily for an entire week and I didn't get bored of it. I love the little melodies the play with different instruments such as piano, violin and even xyIophone; I love the chord progressions, I love the execution of the changes at the end of the songs. I love everything from this album, and I'm glad I can finally give a confident 5 stars after 165 albums (I have to add that this is could be the third 5 stars, but didn't have the confidence to give the other two albums the proper score)

Ok, low-key rock

Mostly noise and a very, VERY whiney "singer" caterwauling over non-,elodic beats. Not the worst thing I've heard, but I would not recommend it to anyone.

6/10

Well I tried to like it. It's all over the place, not at all an enjoyable listen.. Lyrics are kinda stupid. Voice is mediocre. Very hard to sit through.

This is a strangely beautiful album; at the same time both recognisable and familiar in soundscape, and unexpected and often challenging, in lyrical terms and also harmonically. This is (forgivably, on this occasion) a concept album of sorts. The first half speaks to the struggles of a neighbourhood under stress and makes lots of reference to relationships with parents: Family members are referred to, one way of another, on virtually every track. This is a very mature sounding album for a debut. If I have a reservation it’s a very slight one, about the production, which is suitably grandiose and theatrical but at times a trifle overcrowded. Fun fact: the recording and mixing of this album was entirely analogue. Less fun fact: the album’s title, and much of the subject matter, was inspired by family bereavements experienced by band members at the time.

This music has no balls. The singers voice is grating as are the vocal harmonies. I have no clue why this type of watered down terrible “rock” music became so popular in the 2000’s.

too much arcade fire in this list

Rebellion (Lies) = amazing.

Favourite songs: Haiti, Rebellion (lies), Neighbourhood #2

I kinda missed this album when it came out. What an absolute shame that was. I'm normally not someone for the melodrama nonsense. I like a fast upbeat tempo, but this one really does it for me. It's an absolutely beautiful album.

Don't really have much to say about this one

Don't really have a lot to write, didn't really enjoy it.

Classic 2000s indie music. Different than some of the other stuff out there and I liked it

Every song in this album compels you... To skip it. It starts OK but by song 3 it is painful, each song is 4 minutes too long, only Rebellion is fine in its entirety. I am giving it two stars because songs in isolation could be bearable and here and there there are some interesting sections (in Power Out, Kettle and wake up) but I would rather pay thousands in quarters playing a Mortal Kombat clone while on fire than listen to the whole album again.

Hated everything about this. Whiny, plaintive, fluffy drivel. Almost DNF. Not for me.

Couple so so mid tempo indie rock songs….but otherwise pretty boring I’ve seen them live and the songs are better in person than on record across their discography But at the end of the day just another boring hipster band who spent too much time with other hipsters from Mile End in Montreal…..then other hipsters from other towns saw them, and now here we are….a world famous boring hipster band. I’m certain this review will infuriate baristas everywhere

An all-time favourite. This was a game changer when it was released, and has an energy that very few albums of its era can match. Perfect from start to finish.

I find the lead singers voice irritating. Music is pretty mid.

The music is great. The singing is not for me and the lyrics are playful but not moving. If there were an instrumental version of this album I would listen to it.

This is not enjoyable to me.

Feels like they're always building to something but it never comes.

Acceptable. They are good but not my thing really. But I can't really say anything bad about them.

Incredible live band. But never really been sold on this album despite the wonderful singles

Admittedly above average for noughties North American indie-rock fare but this album tries so hard to be grandiose I think it should be diagnosed with BPD.

Shorter, sharper and more varied than The Suburbs. A strong album .

Solid indie alt rock record. Helped define the indie aesthetic in that decade.

I forgot I was even listening to anything because this album faded into the background so much.

This doesn't sound like 2004. I hate that there are albums on this list that are from the 2000s while still sounding like other records on this list that are way older. This is not bad but youbvould have chosen way more from the 21st century.

I really liked the sound of this one. My standout would be Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels). I love the use of violin in that one, and the lyrics spoke to me in a weird way.

The instrumentation is quite nice, but the male singer makes it a drag to listen to. The best song was Rebellion (Lies).

Considering I don't like indie rock this is pretty good.

I don’t like this album as much as I did when I first heard it as a teenager and Win is a sex pest and all, but it’s still such an excellent listen. Front to back it’s great. Such high energy, so inventive. Regine’s vocals are elite. Power Out and Laika- holyyyyyyyy. The Tunnels riff was one of the first things I ever learned on guitar. One of the easiest 5’s this site has given me

A few good songs. Never got super into them though. Crown of love is my favourite song on this album

Correcto

Not too bad. Not really my style

Solid album.

Riese Fan vode Produktion, super abgmischt. D Lieder hend mich immer wieder überrascht mit interessante Entwicklige und sind generell sehr abwechsligsrich. I gwüssne chamer mega in klang itauche, bi andere hingege chamer richtig abga. "Une année sans lumière" het mier glaubs am beste gfalle, aber die vier "Neighborhood"-Songs sind au mega nice. Definitiv es Album wonich irgendwenn wieder mal lose wird.

no easy, aber recht unspektakulär.

The days when the meta was to pretend that you were smarter than you actually were. That's the only way I can explain anyone rating it higher than "fine"

music to "find yourself" to after you realize that you are gay

Dind't like it when it came out and I still dont.

Cannot tolerate Win’s voice very long. 0 from me.

Fantastic anthemic indie debut

very mid pop punk record. nothing in particular stands out

Was this groundbreaking for 2004 or something? Snooze

I fucking love this album

A very solid 3 for me

Wasn't very engaging for me, kind of forgot I was listening to it as I did other things.

OK. I just gave Bob Dylan 'Blonde on Blonde' a 4, which arguably should have been a 5. But now I'm hearing this album and wanting to give it a 4, but feeling a bit sheepish that if this is a 4, then is this really in the same bucket as Dylan Blonde on Blonde? So for that reason alone, this falls to a 3. Sorry Arcade Fire. You just aren't Dylan.

Great album.

Okay I had high hopes. Everyone loved Arcade Fire. I like them. Not this album though.

Album sounds good, but to me it feels 2004 unlike some other 2004 albums. Draggin for me. First listen all the way though, familiar with the hits. Time's been unfair I feel like, very millennial boom stomp to my 2025 ears. Maybe it'll sound like a banger in a few years.

Weird coming at this from knowing the suburbs incredibly well, I guess quite a lot of people would say that this is their best album, its definitely better than Neon Bible, but also worse than the suburbs. I like that its more creative/less traditional than the suburbs, with the distortion and experimentation on the vocals. Synths are also really good, guitars too. I think Arcade Fire are amazing at a certain type of feeling in songs, which is quite hard to describe, but quite close to nostalgia. Favourite songs: all except maybe the first one. Overall around 8/10

Not a fan. Not sure why.

Always a good listen. Big fan.

Ok.

Not as good as Neon Bible (the only other I heard) but still a cool project. The thing that brings it down for me is I didn’t like the sound that this one has as much as I liked NB’s. My isssues with this one are that the tracklisting was a little bit over the place and sometimes I could barely understand what was being said (though that might be my AirPods) which is problematic when you are listening to a concept album, which this is. and the first half of the album was a little choppy. But the saving factor was that the 2nd half was really awesome. Despite those complaints, to me this is a good album. Just a little bit flawed sadly. Favorite Tracks: Wake Up, Haiti, In The Backseat, and Rebellion (Lies)

I tried listening to this but kept falling asleep. There is some undeniable talent in this group, but it's just not my kinda thing.

I'd given up on albums before this came out. Familiar with so many of the songs but never paid attention until now and fired up the first track. Wow. Glad to find this gem and will put it into regular rotation

Great album. One of my favorites of all time.

Nice.

What is this

Really good music. Didn't grab me as emotionally as Neon Bible. Good new band for me though.

This was ~ok~. It's just a little Indie for my tastes. There was randomly a girl on the last song? I don't even know if she was in any of the previous songs. I would probably like this more if I gave a good look at the lyrics but since I work while I listen to all of these albums, they're sometimes probably not getting a fair chance.

Good one, in my memory it was even better than 3 stars...

Wasn't a big fan, nothing stood out for me on this album

Not bad, just not for me, vocals are a little drowned out and honestly its boring, high 2

It was sick.

Not too bad.

Favorite Track: Wake Up

I don't love this kind of whiny, tremulous vocal style - it's objectively quite similar to things like Bright Eyes that I loved when I was younger but nowadays I find it a bit overly fey and annoying. The music is good, very competently composed, but feels like it's designed in a lab to be uplifting and appear on tv adverts. It doesn't feel very organic or interesting. But I don't tend to like indie songs that have multiple guitar parts all strumming a single note over and over like that. Track 2 (Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)) is a bit more interesting and punky. But of course I don't generally like shouty punk either. The guitars just sound very thin. A lot of small lines of colour on a blank background. A general issue I have with this genre is there's no standout "bit" in the song that it builds to and you get a sense of intense joy and satisfaction from when it finally happens. Like the really brilliant guitar or vocal part or lyric towards the end of the song. It's just stuff happening all the way through and then it's over. So I just fundamentally prefer the structure of, for example, rock or blues songs. Track 3 (Une Annee Sans Lumiere) is very dull to me. I'm not sure why I would be interested in this bland vocal or guitar picking. Although having said that the fast bit at the end is more interesting. Track 4 (Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)) is just nothing to me I'm afraid. Apparently it's one of their singles. I don't know how they choose a single as nothing stands out. Track 7 (Wake Up) is more interesting - like the aaah aaaah aaah chorus. Rhythm guitar is slightly more interesting, with some chords appearing. Still hate the guitar tone. According to A this was one of their big singles. This one did have my foot tapping a bit. And some almost cool lead guitar licks. Like the change of pace at the end of the song. Feels very white and very early 2000s. Which it is, so fair enough. I don't like the vocals, guitar sound, instrumental sound in general or the structure of the songs. I would never choose to listen to this again and don't think it will grow on me with repeated listens. Although having said that it does pick up towards the end of the album. Wake Up and Haiti are better (I like the switch to the female vocalist and the bass line in Haiti). Rebellion is decent too in that generic uplifting 2000s indie way. In the Backseat (the last song) was pretty good and vocal was a bit Bjorky, which is cool. Like the strings. The back half of the album bumps it up to a weak 3 stars overall. I assume everything on this list is going to be competently made so I will rate based on subjective enjoyment and likelihood I would ever listen again. I'm just not sure I like indie much.

It's okay. Good to listen to while one is doing other things

It's funny I never got into this band as they were huge in my college years and I listened to a many AF-adjacent bands, but there was always something missing for me. I can't put my finger on it. Listening through this album gave me nostalgia for the era, but really just made me want to listen to any other millennial alterative album. It's fine.

pretty fine record. Nothing that particularly blew my mind, it was less impressive expected, this being a pretty popular and well loved record. Favorite track: wake up. Overall score: 5.0/10

Recognized a few songs, but the album didn't make a strong impression on me.

Day 1. So far so good. Not really my taste, but I can def appreciate it. Neighborhood #3 is good. The guitar and drums are really good, the vocals are not for me but not too distracting. Neighborhood #4 is better actually. The girl voice in Haiti is good.

I thought this album was a fun listen. I enjoyed the lyricism and found that it was easy to follow. My favorite was Crown of Love. I don't think I would necessarily reach for this album time after time but it definitely had a few songs I could see myself listening to again! 3/5

Damn near perfect album, only thing that takes it down to a 4 is "Rebellion." Just not my cup of tea.

Not for me

Very close to a 4 for me, but somethings not hitting my ears right. Definitely parts of it is Win Butler's vocals I don't think are very good. Wake Up is a classic, and I generally enjoy most of the rest of the record, especially everything after Wake Up, but yeah, just not quite doing it for me.

I’d forgotten how heavily this albums leans on talking heads, it’s a very good album though, songs flow past worth repeated listens.

1st

Was more interesting than I remembered...

4.5. I like this one. Will listen to again.

16/1001 Solid album, not the peak of its era & genre but able to hang at the big kids table. I honestly liked the single and more pop stuff better overall, but the rest of the album was good. This isn’t really a full 4 star album, maybe closer to a 3.5 but rounding up because 3 seems too far off.

operatic and turgid; exhilarating when it works, but twenty years on, the seams are showing. a lot of the bigger swings, the "our love is how we'll survive," the communal singalong shit, REALLY falls flat after having your frontman exposed as a cheating sex pest.

It’s not bad. But it’s not great either. The whole album is a lot. Arcade fire as a band is quite a lot I find. Rich in melodies, instruments and vocals. I think some songs would be more impactful for me if some of it would have been toned down.

Good and interesting album.

Very good music really enjoyed the overlaying harmonies and many instruments chosen, a bit sad for my liking though

I really liked this album. I have heard of this band before, but I never listened to them until now. I enjoyed all the songs and rock.

Not bad, just very over the top.

Cool vibes but not entirely for me Songs added to Liked Songs: Une Annee Sans Lumiere Rebellion (Lies)

4 Stars (11/15)

i was 4 years old when funeral was released, and my canadian gen-x parents are responsible for the fact that some of my earliest memories include this album. wake up used to scare me to the point of tears, because it included the lyric “turn the summer into dust”, and my birthday is in the summertime...kids say the darndest things. it’s the first album i ever cried to (and maybe the only one i’ve ever cried to out of fear). funeral has followed me around ever since - into adolescence and adulthood and bedrooms and hallways and first-love passenger seats. Can’t Be Normal About It/5.

decent

An extra star from me for being half of a concept album.

Why does every rock album from the early 2000s sound exactly the same? You could have told me this was by Modest Mouse and I wouldn't have blinked. It's... fine, but pretty forgettable.

It was fine. I'm not a huge fan of this style of music. Rock mostly feels bland to me. It didn't draw me in. However, I can see how this was elevated and a higher quality version of this type of music. 4/5

I liked this better than Neon Bible and I gave that one 3 stars, but don't think this one deserves 4. If the vocals were a little bit better/less whiney it may be a 4.

I feel extremely neutral toward this album. Sort of has that modern indie / alternative sound. Wake Up is obviously the standout track.

I liked this one. The mixing of French into a couple of the songs was a good nod to their heritage and origins. The theming between the songs flowed well.

Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels): i love this so much, this might be my new favorite song 4.8/5 Neighbourhood #2 (Laika): this might be an album full of unskipable songs, i love this song 5/5 Une année sans lumière: it’s a bit like a very chill interlude, but i love the end of it very much 3.2/5 Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out): i’m a big fan of shouting in songs, and i like the lyrics 3.4/5 Neighbourhood #4 (7 Kettles): i love the instrumentals and the vibe of this song, i just don’t know what it means 3.7/5 Crown of Love: the change of rhythm surprised me, i love the background vocals and the lyrics 3.8/5 Wake Up: i love the lyrics of this song so very much, but i have to listen to this when I’m sadder 3.9/5 Haiti: it’s one of those songs where the lyrics are crushing but you don’t notice it when you just listen to it 4.1/5 Rebellion (Lies): love how it blends with Haiti, but it’s a bit repetitive for me, has a fire instrumental tho 3.2/5 In the Backseat: i like it, i don’t know why tho… i just like it, it’s nice i like it 4.3/5

This came out around the tiime I stopped reading the music press, and within a year nerlynevery indie band sound like this and I still don't know why.

7.5/10. Great album by a great band.

Better than I was expecting. At times it can get a little generically “indie” sounding, but the songwriting is good and the arrangements are especially well thought out.

There are plethora of interesting elements in this album. Tempo swift from 3/4 to 4/4, layered accordions/choirs/strings, modal shifts etc. I like some depth of an album, and I also like that they don’t fixate on death. But I’ll have to say.. I’m very picky about vocal performance.. and their primitive voice does affect the enjoyment a bit 😂 5 stars for the album, and -1 for vocals.

Glad I finally got to see what all the fuss was about for Arcade Fire. It was pleasant for sure but not exactly my style. I saved a few songs and would be happy to revisit them. Respectable 3.

its gonna be a no from me dawg. the only song i enjoyed was neighborhood #3. everything else felt like an experiment in a garage. never understood the Arcade Fire hype and well... guess I still don't

It wasn’t bad, but a lot of it was just washed out sound in my opinion. Not enough variety for me to give above a 3.

2.5 but I’ll round up to 3. Pleasant, but I didn’t feel blown away.

I was familiar with Wake Up and Rebellion before giving this album a listen from front to back. I didn’t necessarily get the reasoning behind naming a bunch of tracks the same thing but I also didn’t read into it. Chill rock and folk vibes that made for a really enjoyable experience. I’ll definitely be checking this one out again and might do a deeper dive into Arcade Fire in the future.

I've never really listened to Arcade Fire before (besides the previous album we had on this list), so this was my first time listening to this album. I absolutely love it! It is a perfect Indy album. Songs are varied enough but still maintain a standard sound. It's a good length with some standout songs, but it works better as a full listen. This is another example for me that I typically enjoy bands debut albums the most.

You can hear the self-importance oozing through the speakers.

This is a band I had never heard of before with a full string section and I am pretty sure I heard a French Horn. I feel like it is a bit of the Cranberries meets Belle and Sebastian but whatever it is ... I like it!

There’s only a couple songs on here I liked.

Did not like.

cool instrumentals i fw heavy! but the vocals arent really my thing. negligible for the cool instruments

The second half of this one really gets rolling. I’m more a fan of their later albums though.

I half enjoyed this. Some of the songs were a bit grating.

This album is pure nostalgia, I immediately rated this 5* because I got so excited that one of my fave albums was served up to me as soon as I embarked on this 1001 journey. I then came to quickly regret giving it 5* as it isn't a 5* album, and am thrilled to have found the edit function. I will however give it 4* with the caveat that this was a time and a place and I still think this is an excellent album but I'm aware that it holds a special place in my heart, therefore inflating the rating perhaps.

It's pretty good, im not personally a fan of the Wake Up song though.

Great cleaning-the-house music. Enjoyable but not memorable

Aside from Wake Up, which was used by U2 to introduce their live shows, i was completely unaware of Arcade Fire. This album definetly fits in the indie rock category along with acts like Foster the People and Friendly Fires. Some of the songs took on a droning noise parade feel like Haiti. Overall ok but not really my cup of tea.

This was a neat album. I never dug into Arcade Fire that much before, but maybe I should.

Breakout indie classic, easy 5/5.

Nope

Yet another fad I skipped in the turn of the naughts. Everytime I heard someone talk of Arcade Fire I had problem remembering which band it was, I know I've heard their music, quite a lot at one point, but nothing stuck. Sound like so many bands, I hear echoes of Brit rock bands like Suede and stadion pop such as U2 et. al. and none of this appeals to me. This album did nothing to me. Utterly forgettable. I mean, it didn't annoy the hell out of me, so I guess it deserves two stars?

Solid album that helped establish AF as indie gold. I prefer their next two to this one, but still a great listen throughout.

Interessante! Poi famosissima 'Rebellion' (sigla di otto e mezzo?)

Tracks Enjoyed: Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) Wake Up Rebellion (Lies) Matt said he has seen them in concert before. Not really my vibe.

Been a big fan of The Suburbs since its release. It was the only album by the band that I had listened to in full up until Funeral. I can see the seeds of something great forming here but many of the songs sounded very similar to me and, ultimately, they began to run together. Although, I did like the conceptual storyline of the Neighborhood Suite. Top picks for me: Laika and Rebellion (Lies)

Certainly influential, but it's it really that good? 3.4.

I think this is a good album, but not their best. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

Overall fine. I don't like his voice, so In the Backseat was the best song.

Iconique. Dramatique. Intense. Mellilo.

Trop difficile d'avoir du recul avec ses anciens amours. Surtout quand ça fait 20 ans. Album parfait pour le moi de 19 ans. Album encore grandiose pour le moi de 39.

Cet album occupe une place importante dans mon coeur. Je ne m'en lasse jamais. Parfait à mes yeux, j'oserais dire. J'aime l'intensité, l'orchestration, les montées, les effets dramatiques et l'émotion à high. En particulier la face B, à partir de Crown of Love, et les pièces qui s'enchaînent.

Bonne musique de Noël. Prod un peu bizarre qui réussit pas à traduire toute l'énergie que le band projette. Y manque un range de fréquences, typique d'une prod lo-fi, qui contraste avec l'effet over the top général. Ça pourrait être plus puissant, à la place c'est fatiguant. Jamais vu live; je crois tous les gens qui me disent que c'est meilleur. 1 minute de moins à chaque toune et l’album aurait une durée parfaite. Un gros 3.5 arrondi.

Expired

I have never doubted this much between 4 and 5 stars, but the album just isn't that for me. Great though!

Goed album! Niet hun beste, maar echt wel degelijk. 3.5

Good album I like Arcade Fire but that wadn't their best one for sure so a bit disappointed like I didn't succeed to get into it at all at any time just sometimes some good melody parts for the chorus but that's all.

Beautiful cover Music is not stunning 2.5

Good album, does better at higher volumes!

this isn't arcade fire's best-written, best-produced, or best-sounding album. it doesn't have their best songs on it. it even sounds a little dated to my 2025 ears - but that's only because *so* much of indie rock scrambled to emulate them in the wake (ha) of funeral. it's hard to appreciate how good it is because everything sounded like this for a while, but i remember this blowing my mind back in the aughts and staying up late waiting for neon bible to drop. the delivery of "take it from your heart, put it in your hand" still makes me misty-eyed. it's really a shame win butler showed his ass with what a prick he is. i try not to think about that for these early albums, but unfortunately, as this list proves over and over again, terrible people can make great art.

solid debut and some great indie rock here. i recognized wake up and rebellion (lies), and have probably heard some of the neighborhood tracks prior. i don't think this holds a candle to neon bible or the suburbs but it definitely lays the groundwork for them. it's around 4.5 stars for me but i'll round up since i just gave some much less enthralling albums 4s on here. favorites: neighborhood #1 (tunnels), neighborhood #2 (laika), neighborhood #3 (power out), crown of love, wake up, rebellion (lies)

Damn. Insanely good. I kind of hate when things are theatrical for the sake of it, but this album earns its melodrama, everyone is bringing their A game. This deserves to be hailed as an indie masterpiece

I dunno it was kinda giving good vibes. Good for you!

Cringing out 🤢😭

A bit mild but pleasant

This album is so 2000s, though mostly in a good way. I really enjoyed it up through track seven (Wake Up, Walter Mitty song) but then it lost a lot of steam and I thought it got a lot less interesting. I can clearly see how influential this would be in 2004 when all the indie rock was getting big. It felt like I was watching Juno. At first I was leaning to a 4.25 or strong 4, but after the ending and thinking about it I'm at a 3.75. Standouts: Neighborhood #3, Wake Up Rating: 3.75/5

Not even on on the way out of the Cemetary i would play this wet nosewipe do to my Haters

A bit nostalgic but nothing groundbreaking

Middle of the road

I’d heard Wake Up and Rebellion (Lies) and had both songs in my music catalog. After listening to the full album, I still only like those two songs. Not much else on Funeral that I could get interested in or enthusiastic about. The word milquetoast comes to mind. It’s really about a 1.5 for me but I’ll say 2 out of the kindness of my heart. 2/5

F Win or whatever his name is

sooooo of its time…does not hold up as well…

good listen

Another banger from Arcade Fire. I definitely liked better than Neon Bible and this is probably a 4.5 for me. Going to 4 as the theme of the album seems to repeat itself.

Sounds weirdly out of tune?

It’s a great record. Once again overshadowed by Win Butler being a s*x pest.

3/5 It's ok, but nothing i would listen to normally. A bit repetitive.

This is #day218 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… for reasons unknown, this band has always felt like a bit of a black sheep in the indie rock world for me. I first listened to this record around 10 years ago. While it has some good songs on it, like Neighborhood #1, #2, and #3 (Crown Of Love, Wake Up, and Rebellion (Lies) are also lovely ones)), it falls short of being a truly significant album. I might be wrong... Listening to Wake Up reminded me of the film Boyhood (2014)—there’s a similar thread running through the whole album. Had I connected with it more back in the day, or if it had hit me with more sentiment, maybe it’d be a 4. And hey, there are two more albums of theirs on the list... Why? Looking forward to #day219.

Funeral is an album that i really enjoyed. I never really heard too much of Arcade Fire, all i have really known about them is that a lot of music critics praise them as if they are the second coming of Jesus Christ. I don't think that this album is perfect but i still do really like it. The instrumentation is on point and works well with every song no matter what instrument they pick and the melodies are always interesting and changing which makes a lot of the longer songs not very tedious at all. I think that the vocals could be clearer but they are still quite serviceable. I don't praise this album as much as all those music critics but i can still see why it gets so much praise. Best Song: Rebellion (Lies) Worst Song: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

Less enjoyable than I remembered.

It’s been a long time since I listened to this album. I always kinda liked it. I like some of the later album is a little bit better than this though.

Un disco que parece hecho en la década posterior. Las voces no me convencen del todo pero toda la producción y el relato general me dan ganas de usar como soundtrack de caminata. Wake Up, un gran tema. Voy a ser generoso como antes: 3.8 y pongo 4.

This is the first album I've been given that I've already listened to. It's been a while since I've listened to this, so this is a great excuse for me to do so. I love this album, it's great.

How did I miss on this one when it came out??

Montreal's finest!

I listened to this when it came out because the hype was massive. There are some excellent parts and some really boring parts. After listening again today I won’t be revisiting this again

I enjoyed listening to this album, sounds like music that’d be in the end credits of a movie

It was okay

It didn't grate on my ears, but it just wasn't very good. Not a whole lot to say otherwise.

Good songwriting but the vocal production is questionable. Ultimately found it a bit boring and forgettable

Decent album but there are very few high points for me. Neon Bible is more visceral.

Introspective and a very interesting way. Wouldve liked to hear some different sounds but they are in a good groove

Certainly a (if not THE) classic (indie) rock album of the early 2000s. Very much the sound of my early-to-mid-20s, so probably gets a bit of a nostalgia bump from me. Neighborhood #2 and Wake Up were pretty much revelations to me back then.

Рок + оркестр = ❤️ Альбом Funeral канадской группы Arcade Fire, образованной супружеским дуэтом, имеет очень заманчивое звучание. Женский вокал напоминает вокалистку группы Phantogram, мужской чем-то похож на вокалиста из Empire Of The Sun, а инструментал содержит в себе элементы инди-рока с мотивами, схожими с группой The Strokes, и оркестровую начинку, что делает звучание группы интересным и уникальным. Из треков хотелось бы выделить чисто инди-рок песню Power Out, сыгранную с особым драйвом, композицию Crown Of Love, припев которой отсылается к легендарной Oh! Darling битлов, и прекрасный завершающий трэк In The Backseat, оставляющий хорошее послевкусие после прослушивания альбома. Творение, заслуживающее максимальной оценки (и сборки плейлиста на яндекс музыке посредством голосового поиска каждой композиции с альбома отдельно). Супружеские 5/5.

Second album de ce groupe proposé par le générateur. Je n'avais pas été convaincu par le précédent (Neon bible). Cette nouvelle proposition ne me convainc pas plus. Rien de bien mémorable ici, il sera vite oublié. =>2/5

What I've learned from the first 50 albums on this list is that, given a few listens, I pretty much like anything and everything, so long as it's not racist I'm-so-hard-done-by shouting, or the drivel written by Stevie Wonder post 1980. It's taken 3 goes (one being a 'proper' listen sat on a plane) to enjoy Funeral but I got there. Maybe if I had more time then everything would be 4+

Pretentious marmite.

Love this album

You can listen to it sometimes for a change. I didn't hear anything outstanding. 6 out of 10.

I just don't like Arcade Fire. I think there was a thin slice of time in the early aughts when this kind of music was popular, but I really don't hear anything like it anymore. I really don't understand why we need not one, not two, but THREE Arcade Fire albums. There are MUCH better bands that have put out MUCH better albums, but I have to listen to three hours worth of this boring, milquetoast shit.

Really fun album I would listen to this on my own.

Para nada mi estilo, no me gustó para nada la voz ni la vibra que tiene. Muy "damn, soy único y diferente, vamos a rebelarnos" y todo acaba siendo la misma mierda. didn't like it at all.

Thoroughly unimpressive. This album has been on so many "essentials" lists and I don't understand why. I would not choose to listen to it again.

This is fuckin awesome. I've genuinely never listened to this front to back before - and now i've done it twice today. I knew a hand full of tracks off of here....mainly Wake Up and Rebellion. But wow super cohesive and exactly what I wanted it to be. These guys absolutely cooked here. They call this one of the greatest modern rock albums of all-time and I totally get it. 5 Stars

Very catchy. Like the other sings better than the singles. Will listen again

Not much to say, a decent album without anything that stood out to me.

Yeah I was alright

Eh

THE indie album of our generation, literally paved the way for m82 and all those indie cunts that make Telstra commercial music, but it wasn’t “the greatest album of all time” as quoted by YouTube music

Actually an excellent album, a highlight of noughties india, exuberant, confident, grand, mildly overly self awareness, occasionally self indulgent, serious but in a fun sort of way - uplifting, intelligent, ever so slightly annoying but you let them off. 10 out of 10, would listen again!

Favourite Track: Tunnels, Wake Up Honourable Mentions: In the Backseat A very cohesive album with enough variety to keep things interesting throughout. I've loved The Suburbs for sometime now, so I was excited to jump into Funeral. It definitely took awhile to grow on me, mostly because I'm not a fan of Win Butler's vocals. The rich instrumentation makes up for it though. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) is definitely a standout opener - the way it builds from the gentle piano intro into the full band arrangement really sets the tone for the whole album. Overall, this album is captures the themes of childhood, coming-of-age, and loss so well with the use of crescendos, gradual build, and emotional progression.

4.5+/5

I really liked their Suburbs album. This one just felt very vanilla comparatively.

2.5 - Meh

Just a beautiful album, where every song feels it belongs there to create a cohesive listening experience. It still sounds as fresh and brilliant as when it came out.

Indie rock is a genre that's just fundamentally not for me. I don't like simplistic music, and unless it's something rhythmically complex (like post-rock or totalism), it tends to be boring. Funeral, however, despite its melancholic tone, doesn't have a single boring song. I can't say what separates it from the competition—maybe it's the chamber music elements, maybe the amount of passion its performed with, or something else—but what I do know is that Funeral is a great album. I can't say I'm exactly impressed by anything here, but it's still an incredibly engaging listen with its fair share of bangers. It's what I would've liked all calm music to be—an easy listen that still manages to stay fun despite its relaxing nature.

White, suburban millennial middle class ass music. Shouldn't be 5 stars but it is.

6/10

Indie pop isn't my favorite but this is a genre defining album. Strong throughput, great ebbs and flows. Played with energy, honesty and complexity.

Prior to all the peaks and inevitable plateaus and general persona-non-grata feel of them all, Arcade Fire represented a belief of hope, a bright light eager to outshine the rest of the other lights. They seemed made from parts of other rock bands' upwards trajectories but they infused it with a earnestness that felt and sounded hard-won. The irony of the album being called Funeral is that it should be the end of things, rather than the beginning. Yet Arcade Fire's boisterous beginning signaled a sign of things to come as they wound up making their presence felt in the ensuing decade.

Fine I guess. I listened to this album a fair amount back in the day, but for some reason it did not age well for me. Why do I like this album less now? Overplayed? Leapfrogged by others? Realizing this album was a surrogate for wanting more Neutral Milk Hotel? Allegations towards the main guy regarding sexual assault? All of the above?

This was huge for me when it first came out, and it hasn’t aged super well. Aside from the fact that the lead singer is a creep, this type of big oh oh oh chorus music was huge in the early 2000s. Some of it still works for me, but mostly it was fine.

A little long and boring for me, but ok overall.

. The subject matter and lyrics reflect a disconnect with society. The white picket fence falling apart. The album plays with the idea of our surrounds reflected by a neighborhood. Heavy emotional subjects surrounded by big sound, organs, instruments.

..

Went from a 2 to a 3 when “Wake Up” came on 👍

Parts of it were quite nice (the music especially) but overall, I found it dull.

never listned to this album as closely as this time, a note on 5 is hard because while i liked and even loved some songs, i wouldn't give it a 4/5 or a 5. i think a 3.5/5 is the note id give it. i liked track 2, 4 and 6 the most. i can see that it influenced many inde bands in the futute which is interesting.

Nothing stood out to me. Wasn't a tough listen, just passed me by without catching my attention

Sounds about indie rock circa 2001. More Radiohead than killers

I dunno this just didn't work for me really. It didn't jam for me. Folky but kind of annoyingly folky, I dunno.

Bad bad. Not my jame

This took me 3 separate listens over the span of ten years to finally 'get it' It has to be because I got into Black Country New Road, and they always cite this album as inspiration. Now I can see where they are coming from.