'The Suburbs' by Arcade Fire

The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
2nd August 2010 | Mercury
****
Septet fire up third effort in hope of further success...

I am obliged to admit that I was unaware of Arcade Fire's existence before I discovered they were headlining this year's renowned Reading And Leeds Festivals. I was attracted by this and decided to listen to some of their music. Initally, I regarded their tunes as well-executed but nothing special. It was only after a few repeated listens where it somehow clicked and I realised this Canadian seven-piece had fallen into the 'grower' category. I was in a similiar situation when I first listened to Radiohead. I concluded that hits such as 'Wake Up','Rebellion (Lies)' and 'Intervention' were well crafted anthems delivered straight from the soul.

This brings me onto their albums. 2004's debut offering was negatively entitled 'Funeral', but the feedback was anything but that. It was featured high up in many end of year/decade lists compiled by various mainstream music aficionadoes. 'Funeral''s success essentially allowed Arcade Fire to hit the ground running. The difficult sophomore album, arrived in 2007 and was entitled 'Neon Bible'. Generally, when an artist has such a promising breakthrough album, they struggle to maintain momentum on the follow-up, a prime example is Arctic Monkey's 'Favourite Worst Nightmare'. However, 'Neon Bible' was met with parallel critical acclaim as its predecessor and this was proven statistically, with the album ranking high in the charts. This continued success and rise in popularity was conveyed in the sudden upgrade in their slots on festival bills and concert capacities, with the Canadians playing some of Europe's largest venues, most notably England's 21,000 capacity Manchester Evening News Arena.

Then comes the highly anticipated third album, released in 2010, adhering to the three year timespan between each of the their albums. Tentatively titled ''The Suburbs', it was inspired by frontman Win Butler's own suburban upbringing in Texas and the album is about 'wanting to re-connect with that feeling and that time'. It was co-produced with Markus Dravs (Bjork and Coldplay), and this has assisted it in becoming Arcade Fire's most mainstream offering yet. One of the first aspects you notice is the sheer bulk of the sixteen tracks crammed onto it. Usually, when an artist releases an epic album, such as this, they fail to maintain consistency throughout. This was apparent when Green Day released the eighteen track '21st Century Breakdown' in 2009, where it was obvious that it would have been more effective had a few fringe songs been excluded. However, this is not the case with 'The Suburbs'.  In my opinion, it is well delivered from start to finish.

It opens with the title track, an appealing, jazz piano ballad, with flashes of MGMT vocals included, which sets the standard for the rest of the album. 'Ready To Start' is reminiscent in parts of previous hit 'Keep The Car Running'. Subdued guitar characterises a lyrically personal 'Modern Man'. Fitting strings are added for the first time on the album in 'Rococo', providing it with an extra dimension. 'Empty Room' is a punchy guitar driven song, giving the album a vivacious twist. 'City With No Children' combines a catchy melody with Bono-esque vocals. Next up is 'Half Light I' and 'Half Light II (No Celebration)', the first part is a soft ballad with prominent strings, with the second part emulating but accompanied by an electro tinge. 'Suburban War' is a touching, slow-burning tune about wandering old neighbourhoods and seeing the ghosts of old friends, and which incorporates a classic Metallica/Led Zepellin arpeggiated guitar part. 'Month Of May' is a shapeless but appealing driving song which reminded me to a degree of Kasabian's 'Reason Is Treason'. This song is one example of how Arcade Fire have implemented bizarre instrumentation into this album for orgininality, as it features the sound of the wind outside their home in Montreal, and in my opinion is a potential single. More soft vocals and strings on 'Wasted Hours' make it another poignant song on the album. 'Deep Blue' is another slow and soulful ballad which follows the passive path the album takes in the final third. 'We Used To Wait' sounds like a downbeat version of Elbow's 'Leaders Of The Free World'. The penultimate song is another split track follows on, called 'Sprawl I (Flatland)' and 'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)', the first part is another emotional, progressive ballad and the second part has a definite electro backing much like 'Half Light II (No Celebration)', allowing Arcade Fire to edge towards glimpses of the rave territory. The final track entitled 'The Suburbs (Continued)', which rounds off this epic album, is a reprise to the opener but in a more restrained manner.

'The Suburbs' is an album you would listen to when driving long distances at the dead of night through desolate towns and along relentless, empty motorways. It certainly has a distinct feeling of loneliness.

This third effort has a few downsides though, firstly, despite Arcade Fire broadening their musical spectrum in places, it is not incredibly diverse as many songs sound rather similiar in rhythm and style. Also, although this album is a musical development from their previous albums, there are still parallels, and whether this is a good decision by Arcade Fire, only time will tell. I think, although they already have a relatively large fanbase, this album will not expand their audience drastically, but will expose new music to people who otherwise might not have experienced the power of Arcade Fire. But overall, 'The Suburbs' is a lyrically focussed, beautifully sculpted and complete album. No wonder they have been considered by some as the new Radiohead...

Track Listing

1. The Suburbs
2. Ready To Start
3. Modern Man
4. Rococo
5. Empty Room
6. City With No Children
7. Half Light I
8. Half Light II (No Celebration)
9. Suburban War
10. Month Of May
11. Wasted Hours
12. Deep Blue
13. We Used To Wait
14. Sprawl I (Flatland)
15. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
16. The Suburbs (Continued)