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Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

bor

bor

queue jumper
It's still Arcade Fire, but this is a change of style for the mighty canadians. Butler's voice is less prominent on this one and where it loses out on the euphoric highs/lows of Funeral and Neon Bible, it has a less 2D sound, being more subtle or layered or more complex or more mature etc.

Gut feeling is that it isn't as "instant" as the first two albums, and it probably won't be as commercially successfull, but I think it will long term be considered at least as good, if not better.
 
On first listen and sounding very good straightaway. Still those insistent beats with most of the instruments in unision but also seems to be more tonal colour, depth and variety. City With No Children sounds like a new direction. Melodies are strong which is what counts most for most of the folks most of the time.
 
I'm disappointed with The Suburbs.

Having really loved Funeral, and liked Neon Bible, I bought it with great anticipation the day it was released.

First few listens: Hmm, nice moody lyrics; consistent feeling throughout the album; interesting shake-up vs previous albums, but nothing stand-out. That's okay, I thought, perhaps it's a grower (and growers are ultimately more satisfying). Besides, I wasn't hooked on either previous album until a few listens in.

After many, many listens trying to convince myself that there's some spark of genius in there, I've come to the conclusion that it's pretty ordinary. I think its marketing as a complete album, rather than focusing on individual songs has as much to do with covering over its deficiencies as promoting its strengths. It's full of decent songs, but doesn't have any great ones. Lacking those melodic hooks to draw you in, it's a hard album to love.

The questions I can't stop asking myself are: if this album were released by an unknown band, would it really have received the accolades and plaudits that The Suburbs is receiving by the critics? Would anyone be giving it the same level of attention? I can't honestly answer 'yes' to either. It's not that it's bad by any means, but it's maybe a 6, not a 9 or 10. I hope time, and more listens change my mind...
 
I preferred it to Neon Bible which I felt sacrificed intimacy and real passion for bombast and guaranteed arena filler 'anthems'. The Suburbs really got under my skin in a big way.
 
My brother gave me a copy a while back - he tries to keep his fuddy duddy bro au courant with the recent stuff, very nice of him. I listened to it a few times and didn't feel there was anything particularly remarkable - just a nicely produced MOR CD, but nothing that really grabs you. It's now right at the bottom of the pile in the sitting room. Maybe I should dust it off for a re-listen.
 
I struggled with it initially, and whilst its not as anthemic as their earlier stuff, there are some great songs on it.
 
Loved The Suburbs. In fact, never really got that much into Arcade Fire till this album.
Think its some of the best songwriting to have come out over the last decade or so.
 
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