In some regards, Arcade Fire are the Carrie Underwoods of the indier-than-thou crowd. One record after another, they consistently deliver exactly what their fans are looking for. And the big difference in this (albeit ridiculous) comparison? While Underwood sticks to a formula that’s proven to be successful, Arcade Fire give their fans something they didn’t know they were looking for.
Their latest album The Suburbs doesn’t rehash much of anything from their previous projects Funeral and Neon Bible. The group’s lead singer Win Butler and fellow founding member (not to mention, his wife) Régine Chassagne based the album on their upbringing in Houston, Texas. One might even call it a concept album. Except it’s nowhere near as annoying as ninety percent of the “concept albums” that have been released in the past decade.
Butler has aptly described the sound of The Suburbs as “a mix of Depeche Mode and Neil Young“. Within this collection of songs rests some of the band’s most dancefloor-ready tracks, such as “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”. Yet that’s not the album’s defining sound. Proof lies in folksier inclusions such as “Wasted Hours” and the album’s title track.
If one thing can be said about Arcade Fire, it’s that they sure as hell know how to stir your emotions. From the epic orchestral anthems to the thumping rock stompers, from the near disco forays into the mellow introspective ballads… it’s a slightly unpredictable ride atop a wave. And you’ll love every minute of it. Well, maybe.
– Dewitt
To listen to select tracks from this album, follow the JUMP:
Arcade Fire and Carrie Underwood should never be compared. I stopped reading after that line. Please… If we are going to put decent music on this blog please keep it separate from the shitty stuff that plagues the top ten lists.