Artist: Arcade Fire
Album: The Suburbs
Released: August 2010
Label: Merge Records
Genre: chamber pop / indie rock
Purchase Date: 06 Aug 2010
Format: mp3 files
Source: eMusic
The Suburbs topped many critics' lists for 2010, and it was awarded Album of the Year for the 2010 Grammy Awards last week. I often get annoyed when underground sensations that I like go mainstream, but for once I have to totally agree with the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. This is a phenomenal recording.
I've been a fan of this Canadian band for years, and I snapped up their third full-length album four days after its release after hearing only one track. I was not disappointed. The Suburbs is a loose concept album about growing up in the suburbs, suburban life, and how the concept of suburban life ripples through the zeitgeist. As always, Arcade Fire's music is intense, complex, and tragic. Unlike their 2007 release Neon Bible, which dealt with the individual vs. overwhelming organizations like government and organized religion, The Suburbs' subject matter is deeply personal.
On the downside, the album is maybe two tracks too long, and Win Butler gets a little preachy at times ("...never trust a millionaire/ quoting the Sermon on the Mount. / I used to think I was not like them / but I'm beginning to have my doubt..."), but on the whole this record is simply brilliant. Even before the Grammys awarded it top honor, I knew it was going to be high on my best-of-2010 list. If you've never heard Arcade Fire before, this is a great place to start.
Rating: A+
"The Wilderness Downtown" interactive film (using "We Used To Wait")
No longer available at eMusic
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