Arcade Fire's new album 'The Suburbs'.
Katy Perry’s latest album may be called “Teenage Dream,” but she’s got nothing on Arcade Fire.
The Montreal-based, seven-piece band’s latest album “The Suburbs,” encapsulates the entire teenage experience: dreams, nightmares and waking realities.
Arcade Fire recovers from their sophomore slump of “Neon Bible” with “The Suburbs,” a potentially career-defining album. Although “Funeral” focused solely on the concept of the neighborhood, “The Suburbs” takes a left turn where “Funeral” took a right.
The sounds and energy produced on this album are unparalleled to their former work, making this their best and most surprising work yet.
The album begins with the casual, serene title track “The Suburbs” then transitions into the faster and more raw “Ready to Start.” The haunting refrain contrasts sharply with the buoyant quality of the title track but truly reveals the melodrama of teenage life. While the theme of “Modern Man” really connects with the album, the strength of the vocals does not. Midway through the song, Win Butler’s voice becomes whiny and repetitive, perhaps an attempt to mimic a teenager’s voice. This song does not better the album in any way.
After a slight lull with “Modern Man” and “Rococo,” “The Suburbs” regains the listener’s attention with “City with No Children.” Regine Chassagne shines on its chorus, as well as on the album’s breakaway success, “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).”
While the instrumentals detract on titles like “We Used to Wait,” they only enhance the sheer beauty and honesty of “Sprawl II.” Chassagne’s voice reflects the anxiety and confusion of the teenage experience. The closest parallel to Funeral’s “Wake Up” or Neon Bible’s “Black Mirror,” this track will be the one remembered three or four Arcade Fire albums from now.
Straying away from Neon Bible’s pretentious and overblown lyrics and instrumentals, “The Suburbs” creates a much needed comeback.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Caitlin McCluskey at Caitlin.mccluskey@colorado.edu.
1 comment
“The Suburbs” is an incredible album. But “Neon Bible” was an incredible album as well. I don’t understand the knocking of “Neon Bible”. Arcade Fire has put out 3 albums, each different from the other and each a classic in its own right.