Musical Flavor: Intro and #500: Arcade Fire, 'Funeral'

I thought it might be fun to explore some new music. It's not that I don't have a very eclectic assortment of favorites already, but I'm definitely not any kind of audiophile. I like what I like and it may or may not have anything to do with what it's about or whether it's actually any good. I'm very lowbrow and I'm totally ok with that. But why not branch out?  

To accomplish this, I've decided to listen to the 500 greatest albums of all time, according to Rolling Stone. I aim to provide some kind of commentary on each but don't expect me to do them justice. I don't know squat about lyrical content or musical composition. It will largely consist of whether I dig it or not. 

Now, Rolling Stone has updated this list a few times. I started on an older version so I listened to half of Aquemini, by Outkast. (Which was pretty cool and I'll finish it eventually. Maybe I'll throw it in as a bonus--if it's not still on the list, I haven't figured that out yet.) The newest list update is from 2020, so it's pretty up to date. 

#500 is: 

Arcade Fire, 'Funeral' (2004)

I've never heard of this album or the band, so I didn't know what to expect. Generally, I don't really know what's exceptional about it. It's not bad and it has a lot going on without being too scattered. They utilize a ton of different instruments and styles. The beginning didn't excite me a lot, but a few songs in it definitely gets a bit better. It has moments where it makes me think of Velvet Goldmine, which is a good thing. (Crown of Love, for sure, but it happened a couple other times.) 

I'd recommend headphones (which, is usually the case with anything worth listening to, right?) because there is a lot going on in the under current that I think you just won't hear otherwise. It's kinda...delicately arranged. Or something.  

Did I bop my head? Yes. 

Would I listen again? Yes, I would. There's more to it than you can glean in one listen. I predict it'll grow on me. (Especially if Jason takes a liking to it because then it'll be played to death in my house.) 

I mostly dig it.