‘[Arcade Fire] have judged their moment perfectly, and this deserves to be their ‘Automatic For The People’; an album that combines mass accessibility with much greater ambition.’ NME
‘You could call it their OK Computer. But it’s arguably better than that.’ BBC Music
‘The Suburbs' two most important achievements are to a) be good and b) not be a rehash of its predecessors.’ Drowned in Sound
‘The Suburbs’ is probably Arcade Fire’s most daring record to date; in places very new and forward thinking while very retro elsewhere.’ Musicradar
Arcade Fire have just released their third album, entitled The Suburbs. Once again, critics have showered the Canadian band’s new album with heaps of praise.
Having listened to it myself, I can only agree. The Suburbs is not an instant classic, it is a grower. However, after a few listens it slowly becomes obvious that this album is a masterpiece. Yet, in the fickle music industry, it is virtually impossible for a band to produce three critically successful albums, but almost every review of The Suburbs rates the album at 8 or higher.
‘You could call it their OK Computer. But it’s arguably better than that.’ BBC Music
‘The Suburbs' two most important achievements are to a) be good and b) not be a rehash of its predecessors.’ Drowned in Sound
‘The Suburbs’ is probably Arcade Fire’s most daring record to date; in places very new and forward thinking while very retro elsewhere.’ Musicradar
Arcade Fire have just released their third album, entitled The Suburbs. Once again, critics have showered the Canadian band’s new album with heaps of praise.
Having listened to it myself, I can only agree. The Suburbs is not an instant classic, it is a grower. However, after a few listens it slowly becomes obvious that this album is a masterpiece. Yet, in the fickle music industry, it is virtually impossible for a band to produce three critically successful albums, but almost every review of The Suburbs rates the album at 8 or higher.
So, what is it about Arcade Fire? What makes them so special? Well, quite a lot actually. Firstly, there isn’t one band that uses such an array of instruments in their music. In addition to the instrument mainstays guitar, drums and bass guitar, the seven members of the band also play piano, violin, cello, double bass, xylophone, keyboard, accordion, harp, mandolin and many others. Consequently, Arcade Fire are able to bring so much variety to their albums, there is almost no limit to what they can do.
Secondly, Win Butler is a genius, he crafts albums that are best listened to as a whole. This is something that Radiohead have also done over the years. These songs need to be listened to in the context of the album to fully appreciate the beauty of the whole product, and to enable the listener to grasp the wonderful narrative being told. Therefore, whilst an Arcade Fire greatest hits album would undoubtedly be brilliant, it would also defeat the point somewhat. Butler is also an excellent songwriter, putting his name to many beautiful lyrics, such as this particularly thoughtful line from 'Wake Up': “If the children don't grow up, /our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.”
In contrast to the many meaningless contemporary bands spouting lyrics that have no relevance to anything, Arcade Fire delve deep into the heart of the listener, asking them to contemplate everything they have ever known. The Suburbs in particular invokes memories of childhood with the repeated mention of ‘the kids’. Win Butler stated that the album ‘is neither a love letter to, nor an indictment of, the suburbs - it's a letter from the suburbs.’ Arcade Fire provide such a nostalgic, almost religious experience whilst listening to their albums, that it is virtually impossible not to be caught up in all the excitement. Just listen to 'Wake Up'. Can you seriously listen to that song without feeling an urge to sing-along to the chorus at the top of your voice?
Finally, after the success of Funeral and Neon Bible, Arcade fire could have easily gone even bigger with The Suburbs, especially after the greater commercial impact of Neon Bible. However, rather than go down the same route as Kings of Leon and produce an album that had commercial appeal, they decided to be awkward. The alt-rock Canadian’s toned down the huge sounds of Neon Bible, creating an album that is instead refreshingly honest and heartfelt. The opening song, ‘The Suburbs’, combines an infectious beat with poignant lyrics that set the theme for the rest of the album, “So can you understand?/Why I want a daughter while I'm still young/I wanna hold her hand/And show her some beauty/Before this damage is done.”
There are no weak links on The Suburbs; each song has its place. Songs such as ‘Rococo’, which initially sounds like a weak link, instead grows into a melancholic and haunting song that demonstrates the diversity of Arcade Fire. Other highlights from The Suburbs are the beautiful ‘Sprawl II’, the magical ‘We Used To Wait’, and the insanely catchy ‘City With No Children’. Win Butler et al explore music in a different manner to any other band around, and therefore, critics are unable to find fault, especially with music that is so inventive, so thought through. It is very rare that critics agree about anything; however, in the case of Arcade Fire the feeling is unanimous, they are one of the most innovative bands in the world.
Secondly, Win Butler is a genius, he crafts albums that are best listened to as a whole. This is something that Radiohead have also done over the years. These songs need to be listened to in the context of the album to fully appreciate the beauty of the whole product, and to enable the listener to grasp the wonderful narrative being told. Therefore, whilst an Arcade Fire greatest hits album would undoubtedly be brilliant, it would also defeat the point somewhat. Butler is also an excellent songwriter, putting his name to many beautiful lyrics, such as this particularly thoughtful line from 'Wake Up': “If the children don't grow up, /our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.”
In contrast to the many meaningless contemporary bands spouting lyrics that have no relevance to anything, Arcade Fire delve deep into the heart of the listener, asking them to contemplate everything they have ever known. The Suburbs in particular invokes memories of childhood with the repeated mention of ‘the kids’. Win Butler stated that the album ‘is neither a love letter to, nor an indictment of, the suburbs - it's a letter from the suburbs.’ Arcade Fire provide such a nostalgic, almost religious experience whilst listening to their albums, that it is virtually impossible not to be caught up in all the excitement. Just listen to 'Wake Up'. Can you seriously listen to that song without feeling an urge to sing-along to the chorus at the top of your voice?
Finally, after the success of Funeral and Neon Bible, Arcade fire could have easily gone even bigger with The Suburbs, especially after the greater commercial impact of Neon Bible. However, rather than go down the same route as Kings of Leon and produce an album that had commercial appeal, they decided to be awkward. The alt-rock Canadian’s toned down the huge sounds of Neon Bible, creating an album that is instead refreshingly honest and heartfelt. The opening song, ‘The Suburbs’, combines an infectious beat with poignant lyrics that set the theme for the rest of the album, “So can you understand?/Why I want a daughter while I'm still young/I wanna hold her hand/And show her some beauty/Before this damage is done.”
There are no weak links on The Suburbs; each song has its place. Songs such as ‘Rococo’, which initially sounds like a weak link, instead grows into a melancholic and haunting song that demonstrates the diversity of Arcade Fire. Other highlights from The Suburbs are the beautiful ‘Sprawl II’, the magical ‘We Used To Wait’, and the insanely catchy ‘City With No Children’. Win Butler et al explore music in a different manner to any other band around, and therefore, critics are unable to find fault, especially with music that is so inventive, so thought through. It is very rare that critics agree about anything; however, in the case of Arcade Fire the feeling is unanimous, they are one of the most innovative bands in the world.
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