Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
between the click of the light, 10 Jun 2005
Although the recording of this ep is somewhat quiet, you still manage to be completely lifted by these songs. Each one filled with adolescent imagery and promises, Arcade fire possess an unbelievable talent at writing music. From their live shows to both of their recordings they create an almost complete wall of sound, nothing seems to be missing. Each and every song contains all the best bits of music thrown in together in perfect order and every song evokes a multitude of emotions, and with each listen you feel as fresh as you did when you first heard it. The amazing thing about this band is the fact that although they make emotional music, the drum patterns they use and melodies they sing are reminiscent of many northern soul songs, meaning that this stuff is great to dance too. After seeing these guys live a couple of times, and having listen to both this and the album many many times, i'm still completely in love with these guys and it doesn't seem too be fading in any way like it would with so many other bands. This is a band that really is genuinely worth a lot of your time, please try and give them some of yours.
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
There's a reason some of this stuff's not on the album., 18 Nov 2005
The Arcade Fire are attracting the kind of Furiously devoted fans that pretty much guarantee cult status from the get go, on the strength of 2004's 'Funeral' they deserve it. Goood for them. And it was a good idea to make this earlier material more readily available as the Album clearly isn't enough.The Arcade Fire EP is a little rougher around the edges than last year's debut but the quality of the songwriting is almost as good. No Car's go in particular would be worthy of inclusion on most new Band's debuts and it's by far the most interesting. The Woodlands National Anthem, while a little one dimentional, is also intriguing in it's production. Tinny guitars are low in the mix while shambolic drums and screatchy vocals are pushed to the forefront. It certainly sounds unlike any other band around now. It's the vocals and the lyrics however, where EP shows cracks. The vocal splits and inflections that were so charming at first on 'Funeral' are totally overblown here. While it may constitute emotion to some, it quickly becomes irritating and gimmicky. Especially on the rather poor Bjork impression that is 'I'm Sleeping in a Submarine'. It's a good job both Win Butler and Régine Chassagne's vocal ticks had been reigned in for the full album since they both have interesting voices, EP shows them coming to terms with them. Lyrics too can seem a bit Naive from time to time but that's no real obstacle to your enjoyment of EP. The truth is, while it may be interesting at first most of The Arcade Fire EP's tracks lack the emotional punch and excitement of 'Funeral. Still worth a look if you're a fan but if you're looking for a starting point the full album's a much better bet.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Arcade Fire's Promising Debut, Remastered, 15 Aug 2005
Solinas is right when he says that "it's hard not to be smitten" with this band. Having listened to Funeral, a few months after its release -lost months I feel, given how grand that album is!- and in the absence of any new material, I felt compelled to buy this EP.
Certainly, although I would not give it five stars, I was far from disappointed, and I believe that in it you will find some of the basic musical DNA that made their first full album such remarkable feat.
Although their sound does not have the emotional conviction that Funeral exudes, there's enough here to expect greater things from this band, which indeed they proved to be the case with the above mentioned full-length release.
For instance, "Old Flame," the opener, already shows some of the band's trademark arrangements and carries you away with the kinnd of fierce nostalgia they will perfect later.
As far as the alledged missing confidence of this debut, you may find that that's not quite the case. Win Butler and Régine Chassagne's vocals are passionate and poignant respectively already, although they may not reach the urgency and deep murning that informed Funeral.
For me, there are two gems that deserve enough praise to warrant purchase of this EP, "My Heart is an Apple" -that grows in intensity as the song develops and includes a touching passage beautifully sung by Régine- and "Vampire / Forest Fire," probably the best song in this EP and worthy of the best of Funeral's, in which Butler sounds like Neil Young circa OnThe Beach.
All in all, this is more than a respectable debut, and worth having, if you fell under the Arcade Fire's spell.
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