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The Suburbs | 
| Artist: Arcade Fire
Label: Mercury
Category: Music
List Price: £16.99 (EUR18.86)
Buy New: £7.49 (EUR8.31)
as of 7/9/2010 21:30 MST details
You Save: £9.50 (EUR10.55) (56%)
New (34) Used (2) Collectible (1) from £7.49 (EUR8.31)
Seller: martint1983
Rating:  61 reviews
Sales Rank: 4
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Running Time: 64 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5.1 x 0.3
UPC: 602527426297
EAN: 0602527426297
ASIN: B003O85WTY
Release Date: August 2, 2010
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | The Suburbs | | • | Ready To Start | | • | Modern Man | | • | Rococo | | • | Empty Room | | • | City With No Children | | • | Half Light I | | • | Half Light II (No Celebration) | | • | Suburban War | | • | Month Of May | | • | Wasted Hours | | • | Deep Blue | | • | We Used To Wait | | • | Sprawl I (Flatland) | | • | Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) | | • | The Suburbs (Continued) |
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 61
 A beautiful and sprawling record August 13, 2010
kango (uk)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
Arcade Fire's third album is a little different to their previous two. On first listen, it appears that the crescendos and walls of sound we've come to expect have mostly been faded out to be replaced by more space and an unhurried saunter through the places the Butler's grew up in. None of this is bad; the band as tight and melodies as gorgeous as ever.
Two tracks highlight the band's fondness for new sounds. The first, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) goes into electro territory, Regine's vocals perfectly complimenting the mirrorball soundtrack. The second, Month Of May takes things in the direction of straight ahead punk rock but is no less stirring than when the church organs are ramped up to 11. These are sounds I hope we will be hearing more of in the future. For now though, this is a very modern blend of folk rock and synth pop which should open the door to wider popularity.
Best of the homely gems for my money is City With No Children. It quickly achieves lift-off the same way as Rebellion or No Cars Go do on previous albums. And then back down to earth... but never for long. It's this pattern of peaks and troughs that run throughout the album; a collection of stunningly played songs put together with some thought. One reason to press an album on to plastic, and then play it from beginning to end.
Epic, Win! August 3, 2010
Number 6 (The Village)
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
The third album see Arcade Fire retreat a little from the pomp and circumstance of Neon Bible, which despite some amazing songs (Keep the Car Running, No Cars Go) did not in the end surpass the ecstatic Funeral. This time round the "Springsteen influence is well to the fore, but its the Springsteen of The River. This is an album shot full of ambivalence, simultaneously nostalgic for and rebelling against the suburban "wasted" youth of the band's members. This a hymn to times when the "kids" had nothing to do, and an eternity to do it. Still big textured music, but a little more controlled, this is an album that deserves to be listened to in its entirety. A great return, and vying with The National for album of the year so far.
A Modern Masterpiece August 3, 2010
Mr. D. Gumble (Herts, England)
17 out of 22 found this review helpful
In 2007 Arcade Fire released `Neon Bible', the critically acclaimed follow-up to their 2004 debut, `Funeral', which, contrary to the opinion of pretty much everyone else, I believe to be a far superior album. Although `Neon Bible' had its moments, Intervention and My Body is a Cage being two of the band's finest achievements, it clearly lacked the cohesive charm evident in its predecessor. In what appeared to be an attempt at sonic expansion and multi-layered musical density in its production, `Neon Bible' had a muddy, and at times, impenetrable sound, which often hindered its track rather than enhance them. Take Black Mirror for example. A song which, when played live, reveals itself as a genuine classic to rival any single from `Funeral', yet on record, feels sludgy and laborious. With this direction receiving praise from critics and fans alike, I was fully expecting Arcade Fire to continue in a very similar path.
The potential for disappointment with the band's third release, `The Suburbs', was further compounded when it was revealed that the record would boast sixteen new tracks, a number which surely suggests a significant amount of filler to be contained within. However, to underestimate a band of this calibre is very evidently a mistake, as `The Suburbs' sees Arcade Fire not only make a clear return to form, but create their best and most accomplished album to date.
The over the top production values have been ditched in favour of a beautifully light and airy atmosphere, allowing each track to breathe and express itself in such a way that would never have been possible with `Neon Bible'. Opening track The Suburbs demonstrates this perfectly and acts as a direct contrast to Black Mirror, `Neon Bible's' opener. With understated piano and acoustic guitars providing a light and sparse mood, The Suburbs acts as a perfect precursor for what is to come over the next 65 minutes. This minimalist approach is once again evident in Modern Man, Rococo, and Deep Blue, displaying a newfound maturity and sense of discipline in their instrumentation.
'The Suburbs' also sees the band tread new ground in the form of Month of May, a pulsating and intense track that possesses an intensity and urgency previously unheard in their earlier work. Lead single We Used to Wait and Ready to Start each provide moments of similar intensity when compared to much of the album's lighter moments, both held together by a rigid pulse and tight structure.
Their progression into new territories continues with Sprawl 2 (Mountains Beyond Mountains), arguably the most ambitious move the band have made to date. With a synth laden chorus, Sprawl 2 points the band in an electronic direction unheard in their previous offerings, providing a shimmering backdrop to a spectacularly infectious lead vocal performance from Regine. The way in which the song gently builds and applies its layers without once threatening to impose upon the melodic nature of the central vocal performance is quite simply an achievement in itself.
Not only have Arcade Fire made a welcome return to form with the best album of their career so far, I firmly believe `The Suburbs' to be a true modern masterpiece. They have managed to create an album of such epic scale and grandeur whilst maintaining an atmosphere of understated beauty and simplicity. For me, `The Suburbs' deserves to be firmly placed among the great album releases of the past decade, and certainly the best album of 2010 to date (new Interpol album pending). Furthermore, the sonic qualities displayed here hint at the potential for even greater things in the years to come. Having opened their sound up in such interesting and inventive ways, they really could go anywhere with album number four.
A Multi-layered epic!! August 5, 2010
S. Young (London)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Arcade Fire have slowly grown into one of the most important bands of our era. It really does feel like they are the Beatles/Smiths/Radiohead of the 21st century. I won't even talk about Funeral (everyone knows how good it is), & Neon Bible, although criticised for it's overblown production, was a fine album indeed. The Suburbs feels part sister to both these albums & part a whole different universe. They certainly explore new territory here, throwing influences into the mix as diverse as Depeche Mode, Blondie, Neil Young & The Beach Boys as well as the usual Talking Heads/Springsteen/Pixies reference points. What you get is a fantastic modern masterpiece which is so ambitious, it's almost knowing of the fact that there are clear flaws & holes. This however doesn't matter because the high points are so damn good and lets be honest - no piece of work is perfect!
Opening with the title track, the transition between 'the Suburbs' & 'Ready to Start' is euphoric. The sweet, warbly strings of the former give way to heavy guitar riffs, pounding rock drums & electronic effects. 'Modern Man', 'Empty Room', 'We used to Wait' & 'Sprawl II' are also highlights. 'Sprawl II' is a total curveball: it's pure, unadulterated electro-pop, it's nothing like what they've done before and it's absolutely incredible! I could live without 'Half Light II' & 'Wasted Hours', but some people I know actually dig these tunes. I've no doubt that this album will go down in history & cement Arcade Fire into the rock n roll hall of fame for eternity.
Wake Up Kids September 5, 2010
Curmudgeon Lee (backwater, UK)
I was a bit like whooa no way when I heard the first track cos it sounds a bit like Coldplay and he sings high and I thought no don't go there man, but wherever he's gone to and returned from has imbued this Win Butler guy with a fantastic ability to put something so special and mesmeric into his lyrics, they are so evocative and take you right to the root of what's up with our culture of alienation - check out Rococo. And that's a strong recurrent theme of the album. Even tunes that don't instantly soar away to heaven like City With No Children In become intriguing and interesting because of his lyrical weavings. I'd buy this album anyway for the aforesaid City With No Children In because it's one of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard. And I've heard quite a lot because I'm an old fart.
Listen hard kids, you could learn something useful!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 61
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