Saito Soma's "Now, the 2000s." 41st Acade Fire "Funeral"

Arcade Fire『Funeral』

Canadian rock band Arcade Fire released their debut album, "Funeral," in 2004. They had already attracted attention with their EP, "Arcade Fire," released the year before in 2003, but "Funeral" received overwhelming support from around the world, catapulting them to the top of the music scene.

Funeral - a funeral, a memorial service. I remember reading in the liner notes that came with the CD at the time that the band chose this title with a lot of thought in mind, having overcome several deaths.

I believe I first heard about this band through my friend S, who taught me about music, literature, and subculture in junior high school.

I think it probably happened that S-kun recommended it to me at his house, saying, "There's a really cool band out there these days," and I liked it so much that I ended up buying it myself.

At the time, S and I were in a band and wanted to create music that mixed musical elements from the 1980s to 2000s.

At the time, I was heavily influenced by Good Dog Happy Men and had said that I liked bands with an orchestral element, so it was only natural that he introduced me to Arcade Fire.

Arcade Fire was formed when frontman Win Butler, the band's central figure, met another founding member, Régine Chassagne.

With a fluid membership and a wide range of musical styles, it's difficult to describe them in a few words, but when it comes to this first album, the expression "traveling orchestra" is the perfect fit.

The image is of traveling around the world, playing sounds that can only be made in that place, and involving the local people.

Each song, performed by a multi-member band, switching between instruments, is melodic and poetic, combining bedroom introspection with orchestral spaciousness.

Ever since I first heard it, I've loved track 2, "Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)." The stripped-down, scratching sound at the beginning, the exotic intro, and the earnest yet beautiful ensemble chorus are irresistible no matter how many times I listen to them.

Then there's track 10, "In The Backseat." This is a majestic piece that could be described as mysterious, and the skill of their orchestration leaves you speechless.

And above all, this song cannot be left out: M7 "Wake Up." It is probably their most famous song, and if they were to perform it live, it would surely spark an incredibly enthusiastic sing-along. I would love to hear it live at least once.

Furthermore, this album was released in a "paper jacket," meaning that instead of the usual plastic case, the jacket is made out of paper, which makes it more expensive and more difficult to manage.

But I will never forget the indescribable emotion I felt when I first picked up the CD, timidly took it out, and stroked the jacket.Come to think of it, that was the first CD in my life that I ever bought in a paper jacket.

Finally, as an aside, a CD I bought a long time ago came with a bonus track in addition to the main album, and for some reason I really liked the song "Brazil" on that track.

This song probably isn't available on subscription services (it may also be a cover song), and it was a long autumn night that made me think how great it is that there are songs that can only be heard through physical media like this.