There’s been so much written about this album since its release in 2004, yet still it’s hard to know where to begin. The novelistic, post-apocalyptic imagery? The poignant themes of death and lost innocence running through the record? The dynamic, intense baroque-pop arrangements? The way that the record’s awareness of mortality and grief makes for cathartic, euphoric music? You could probably write a book about all the factors that contribute to Funeral’s status as a modern-day masterpiece, but suffice to say here that this is one of those albums where your favourite track changes every day, whether it’s the stirring ‘Wake Up’ (“If the children don't grow up/Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up”), the beautiful folk ballad ‘Neighbourhood #4 (7 Kettles)’,the fervent, swelling opening track ‘Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)', or ‘Haiti’, Regine Chassagne’s haunting lament for her homeland. Many artists past and present have tackled the big issue of death, but rarely have they made such uplifting music in doing so.
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