With the highly anticipated arrival of 'The Suburbs' in 2010 came a new era for Arcade Fire. With their transition from indie-anthem underdogs to international superstars just about complete, 'Month of May' served as a shining example of how their sound had begun to evolve as well. It's a much more aggressive, rock-tinged number than almost anything from 'Funeral' or 'Neon Bible', and sounds far more stadium-ready than the string-heavy, organ-driven situation we'd become used to. It's a reminder that Arcade Fire kept us interested all this time by changing it up every now and again - they're not afraid to expand their sound and experiment a bit, and 'Month of May' is one of those risks that we can safely say paid off.
13. Crown Of Love (from Funeral, 2004)
'Crown of Love' is a cunning blend of all the things that Arcade Fire do really, really well - sharp and sudden changes in key, pitch, tempo, as well as their ability to turn an almost heartbreaking love song into one that will have you dancing about whichever room you so happen to be in. A stirring and tense ballad, 'Crown of Love' is almost hypnotic, and a prime example of the sad, epic indie rock Arcade Fire are celebrated for bringing into the 21st century. The song reaches its peak in an explosion of violins, just as we begin to lose hope in the love Win and Régine are so desperately cleaving to. This is an early sample of one of Arcade Fire's greatest strengths - the ability to turn an entire song right around on itself in just a few short seconds, but without it sounding forced.