In a performance, there is all too often one word that is vastly underappreciated: subtlety.
And subtlety was definitely the underappreciated word of the moment when Arcade Fire took the stage for the first time during this year’s Grammys. Perhaps it was the fireworks, or the blinding strobe lights.
Perhaps it was the overuse of fog machines. Perhaps it was the BMX riders doing flips on miniature ramps onstage. But overall, the Arcade Fire show amounted to little more than overkill.
And that’s the real shame in the situation. Because when you get past all of the noise and flashiness and general exorbitance of their performance, you find a genuinely great band underneath.
Arcade Fire, which released its first album, “Funeral,†in 2004, isn’t exactly what one would deem “new†to the music scene, but they are new to such a flashy event as the Grammys, and it was clear that the marriage wasn’t a happy one. The only truly good moment was when the band began another performance (albeit an impromptu one) after their win for “Album of the Year.†This performance, free of the unnecessary gimmicks that marred their earlier performance, demonstrated the true essence of the band, hopefully one that listeners will attune to quickly.
By far more popular in Britain, Arcade Fire is nevertheless a strong performer on the indie circuit. Composed of seven members, the band highlights an eclectic mix of instruments, at times using multiple drum or piano lines to punctuate their music, and occasionally going completely off the charts with oddities, like the glockenspiel. Their three albums, titled “Funeral,†“Neon Bible,†and “The Suburbs,†respectively, tie together in a serious atmosphere, featuring grand statements dealing with politics, deep emotions, and, essentially, life.
As a relatively new connoisseur of Arcade Fire, it’s hard to justify sweeping generalizations of their music, especially when there’s still so much to explore in their works. But, from what I’ve gathered, the band breaks down like this: They focus on profound statements in their music, focusing heavily on hypocrisy and other such sentiments. This proves for an interesting listen, but in their two earlier albums, the music tends to get bogged down in the message. That Arcade Fire comes across as a bit too high-minded for most tastes, and listening can quickly become exhausting.
This is not true for “The Suburbs.†In this fresher taste, the band drops the heavy while still keeping the message, resulting in a truly unique and delightful listening experience. The lightly satirical voice of “Rococo†is refreshing and different, especially in its take on so-called “hipsters.†“We Used to Wait†ups the anxiety with a lament of cultural exhaustion, with a strong conclusion leaving the listener “with the lights cut out… left standing in the wilderness downtown.†The track rings in the mind long after the piece itself has ended.
It’s sad to think that people won’t experience the joys of Arcade Fire simply because they do not know about it, or because they took their judgment from an ill-advised performance. Truly unique in the music industry, Arcade Fire continues to amaze with soulful, disillusioning lyrics that still ultimately leave the listener with a hopeful message: The fight of our lives is winnable, achievable. And with “The Suburbs†still ringing in my ears, there is also another message: We are all in this together.
