The Arcade Fire - Neigborhood #3 (Power Out)

Track Review
Released: 2004
Download It (9.2MB)

The Arcade Fire are one of the most accomplished new bands around, no question . If you've been living in some kind of media vacuum and haven't been witness to continuing dollops of praised dumped by the musical press all over their album Funeral, well stop reading this now and download.

This is a juggernaut of a track blasted out at a fierce intensity. Lyrics are a compelling mixture of surburban angst and nightmares (Ice has covered up my parents hands / don't have any dreams don't have any plans). Pounding drums, a deep full multi-layered sound, Win Butler's end-of-his-tether vocals, a manic xylophone, and a perfectly placed violin. Even better, it all sounds so original (unlike almost every other "band-of-the-moment", who sound like your local cover band down at some shitty early-80s retro night).

In short, my favourite track from the best album of 2004.

10/10