Arcade Fire are uniquely qualified to cover "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son," the Serge Gainsbourg penned pop song that made the terminally cute teenager France Gall one of the very few truly delightful winners in the shameful history of the Eurovision Song Contest. The French lyrics, symphonic string arrangements, and galloping rhythm are all in a normal day's work for the indie titans. Taken from a tour only split 7" with LCD Soundsystem (you can hear the vinyl crackle on this mp3 transfer), the song adheres to the original's jaunty spirit and Regine's commanding pipes are a definite upgrade from Gall's peppy but thin best try. The band makes it their own with little atmospheric touches. Nervous guitars handle the simmering lead in, and ghostly "oooo"s complicate the song's rush to a close. But rather than transforming the old French pop classic to fit their gloomy stamp, it might be preferable if some of Serge's giddy immediacy crept into the band's work. I think an Arcade Fire track that burned out in two minutes and didn't feel so self consciously "important" might be pretty refreshing, actually. For now, we've got this.