Funeral
(45/100 Greatest Albums Ever)

For those tired of watching sweaty three-chord garage-rockers dominate the indie scene, the Arcade Fire’s mixture of brains and eccentricity was a blessing from heaven. It seemed inconceivable a few years back that a nine-piece orchestral-pop outfit from Canada could become more relevant than The Strokes, but Funeral’s devastating blend of songcraft and sonic ambition made it all possible.
A remarkable success story, as unexpected as it was deserved.