The Arcade Fire

The Arcade Fire - Wake Up

Nicely distorted guitar. Simple drum fill. Choir-like "ohhs". Long tone key chords drop in and out. Strings play their role too in this existential rocker, rolling in and out of the "ohhs" and "ahhs".

This song is big. This song is lamenting. This song is waking up. This song could move faster, but it doesn't want to, and it doesn't need to.

"I guess we'll just have to adjust." This song is about changing and realizing that good is happening all around you, and to let it go (okay, that sounds kind of bohemian, but they are Canadian).

Musically, the songs kicks it up a notch with a key change in the middle signaling possible change happening. Then the song turns the corner. Just as the the song realizes its own mortality ("I can see where I'm going to be/when the reaper he reaches and touches my hand"), the drums turning to an uptempo bop feel signaling life after death. Or would that be death after death? Okay, so that sounds cheesy, but listening to the song, it sounds and feels right, and you can make your own decision about what the hell the lyrics mean.

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This song comes from the CD Funeral which will in all likelihood be placed in many critics' top 10 or top 83 releases of the year, including mine.