When people think of influential albums, they look towards the greats, like The Beatles or Michael Jackson. But some find newer music to look towards, and a likely candidate for most influential album of the decade is Arcade Fire’s Funeral.

Funeral has an uncanny ability to apply to any mood of the listener. The mixture of violins, bass, drums, electric guitar, and emotional vocals blend seamlessly. The vocals, shared by both Régine Chassagne and William Butler (backed by all of the other band members), can be sweet and sincere or intensely emotional as the need arises, and their ability to convey either is unbelievable.

This album, spurred by deaths in the families of many band members, touches upon all different kinds of love and lives, as seen between all of the songs whose titles start with ‘Neighborhood #1, #2, or #3.’ Funeral possesses music capable of presenting the offset pain of losing a loved one while also presenting understanding and coping. The brief use of different languages aid in giving the album a life, making the album tell the stories of all these different people that may exist.

Despite its oppressive undertones, Funeral still emerges with empowering positivity. Such an example is the incentive moment of “In The Backseat,” where Chassagne sings the chorus with renewed feeling, saying that she’s been “learning to drive my whole life” as the song’s climax explodes.

Funeral goes deeper than the simple pop album; it delves deeply into the thoughts and feelings of different people, all whom have been affected by death. It reflects upon their pain, desperation, and their unyielding hope. Funeral is an album capable of touching everyone everywhere, and is complex enough to comply with any state of mind.