So I'm at the Carling Leeds festival, right, and I'm at the very front of the barrier of the Radio 1/NME tent, and I'm waiting with tears in my eyes for what is the reason that I came here, the very basis of my existance at this point. Kasabian were amazing last night, but these guys are going to blow the roof off. Some people go to festivals for the rioting and the violence, some to shack up with some girl wasted out of her face, some for the bloated healiner or the unheard of indie giant.... me? I'm here to see The Arcade Fire.

To start with, The Arcade Fire are about as far from the typical rock stereotype as you can get. They use a huge assortment of instruments, from harpsichords to violins and cellos. Two band memebers are married. Live, they switch instruments nearly every song. They are not particually good looking (sorry guys), they have no obvious tatoos or piercings, and they are not totally up themselves.

"Emotional" has in the past few years become all to associated with those low-pant wearing 14 years olds wailing about girlfriends and how tough their middle-class lives are. In Funeral there is true emotion, real feeling, those tangiable thoughts and desires, lies and truths that affect all of our lives. When Win Butler tells us that "The power's out in the heart of man" in Neighbourhood 4 (Power Out), we really believe him. His anger in the lines "I went out into the night, I went out to pick a fight with anyone" again is felt. Power Out, by the way, is perhaps the pinnicle of the album. It contains everything that makes the album great: soaring choruses, pounding, dance-like druming, wonderous guitars and those incredible melodies that just seem to slide out of nowhere. It's over five minutes long, but you want it to go on forever.

WOW. Along with Power Out, the best song on the album. the lyrics, as far as I can tell, are a metaphor for fear of death. They are clever, intelligent lyrics - "Every time you close your eyes, LIES! LIES!" - perhaps a rebuke against religion, challanging the existance of a heaven or hell, though I hasten to add that my interpretations are probably wrong. The bass and drums harken back to Power Out, strong, earthy, underpinning the whole song. And those violins! Man, the melodies just seem to creep in with no waring whatsoever! But the true brilliance of Rebellion is its chorus. I cannot express just how epic a chorus this is. Unexpected, whirling, towering - I'm listiening to it right now, and it's bringing a turmoil of emotion to my heart.