future cult classic - arcade fire

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 01:20 Written by Tom Hewson

“guaranteed to jack you up”

Not short of an absurd understatement this: Arcade Fire, a future cult classic. Brandishing Arcade Fire as a 'future cult classic' falsely implies they're yet to achieve any accolades, whilst the truth of the matter is such a status has well passed its germination stage and has already flowered ever so brightly for these arena-touring-festival-headlining-chart-toppers. Perhaps the Canadian’s nonchalant attitude towards their success sidetracked the band from the grasps of elitist underground folklore that suggests success is a forbidden entity – one certain enough to strip bare the appeal and put a hold on creativity. Arcade Fire’s cult status is still justified even after mainstream recognition it would seem. Yet whilst they’re already considered a cult classic as a band, not all of their tracks are.

Our ‘future cult classic’ article focuses on the track rather than the artist - a completely different kettle of fish. Even the most cultish of bands have tracks that aren’t worthy enough of b-side compilations, so it’s unfair to judge a track by a band’s success. You wouldn’t fob off Duncan Jones’ originality as a by-product of his father’s cult status, that would be plain ignorant...

‘Month of May’ - the fiery number from LP No. 3 The Suburbs – first came into our existence as a free download/teaser track during the lead up to the release of the record. The haunting melody and context of Win’s lyricism compliments the track’s simplistic framework of Magazine-esque punch and drive. Its post-punk like volatility is a sure representative of a film that depicts youthful angst and determination. It certainly wouldn’t be out of place on a soundtrack to one of the teen-horrors of the late 1990’s: Rodriguez’s The Faculty and Craven’s Scream spring to mind. After the recent reinvention of the superhero movie perhaps it’s time for a reintroduction to the teen-horrors of yesteryear, but ones that aren’t vampire-love-story pollutants. I really believe it’s needed for 'Month of May' to show off its deeper and darker qualities.