The Suburbs

Pretty good album

I feel like I had this one recently... Maybe it was Funeral? Are Arcade Fire problematic? I like their music still.

4/5

Un solido 4. Qué gran banda es Arcade of fire, amo su música.

Excellent production and songwriting. Started and finished on very high notes. A little too long, middle was slightly sluggish. Highlights: The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Rococo, Month of May, Wasted Hours, Deep Blue, Sprawl I Lowlight: City with No Children

Really strong opening half, loses its way a bit in the middle but picks up again after Wasted Hours. Some really great tracks, ones I already knew (The Suburbs, Ready to Start and We Used To Wait) and some I didn't (Modern Man, Empty Room and City with No Children). Overall an impressive record, 3.5/5.

Что-то мне не нравится в звуке этой группы. Этот альбом понравился больше, чем другие.

They have a pretty cool sound. The ones that caught my ear: Ready to Start, Empty Room, City w No Children, Month of May, Wasted Hours, Deep Blue, We Used to Wait and Sprawl II and I especially like Sprawl II because Régine Chassagne is singing the lead and I think the album would have been stronger if she would have sang lead more often. I'm a 3.5 with this but it's creative enough to keep me coming back for deeper listens so I'll go 4.

fire was right, good vibe wld listen again, sprawl is gassss

Not my favorite arcade fire but still good

First good album I've been given - millennial joy slop, but nice

feels very nostalgic

The last Arcade Fire record I heard from the list was straight ass. I like this one though. It’s a good vibe. One of my friends said the first album is the only good one. I disagree. Definitely better than The Black Album.

Es erscheint mir fast unmöglich nicht zu dem Vibe des Albums zu connecten. Die unterschiedlichen Facetten der eigenen Jugend in Retrospektive zu betrachten hat große Freude gemacht. Insbesondere die Kritik am modernen Lebensstil in diesem Kontext funktioniert einfach perfekt. Vor allem in Songs wie "Modern Man" und "Roccoco" wird dies einfach perfekt transportiert. Musikalisch ist das Album ziemlich gut, aber auch nur guter Standard für Indie-Musik. Bei einer Länge von deutlich über einer Stunde führt dies zu temporären Ermüdungserscheinungen. Alles in allem aber ein hervorragendes Album zu dem ich mit Sicherheit noch einmal zurückkommen werde.

3.75. A band I am aware of but never actually listened to. I kinda dig it.

I was into the first couple of albums from this band. By this point, their “ding ding ding ding ding ding ding” had grown old for me. However, there are real gems in here, “wasted hours” for example.

#69/1001 🇨🇦🕹🔥 I listened to this a lot at the time it came out, Arcade Fire were one of the few bands that came out in the early 2000s that made me sit up and listen with their first album Funeral. This has a fuller sound and might be criticised for being a bit samey and overlong. Ultimately its a bit of a concept album, which generally means both of the above. Listening back its a solid record with some great tracks and i've enjoyed revisiting. Ps: the fiff on City With No Children is surely a rip off of Rocks Off by the Stones. Best Tracks: The Suburbs, Sprawl II, City with No Children, Ready to Start.

Consistent theme, solid tonality, interesting instrumentation. Generally all strong songs.

Enjoyed this

never judge a book by its cover they say

This album is absolutely beautiful. I love all the intricate orchestrations, specifically the violin. The album starts awesome and I was looking forward to it, but many times throughout the record I found myself waiting for the next track to arrive. Half and half some of the best emotional indie pop arrangements I've ever heard, and the other being boring pop filler that could've been removed.

musique d'ambiance dans le meilleur sens du terme if that makes sense

Tää oli tosi kiva! En oo ikinä ennen kuullut mutta kiva tällanen keveä kesänen kepeä fiilis. Kuuntelin tätä Cafe Plakan kattoterassilla ja sopi kyllä fiilikseen 🌞🇬🇷

I couldn't tell you the last time I actually went out of my way to listen to Arcade Fire, but I can tell you that Funeral left a pretty deep-yet-shortlived impression on me when I first heard it at 17. Hearing this for the first time, several years later, feels like I'm going through the same experience. Took some time to warm up to, but once this thing kicks in it pretty much stays there. Would probably be a 9/10 if "Rococo" didn't exist. Sorry.

Classic millenial album. I can't rate it objectively due to nostalgia.

4 - I liked this a lot more than when I listened to it in 2010.

I actually really enjoyed this. Considering the reputation I've come to hear of Arcade Fire as well, I was extremely surprised by how good this was. Top draw indie rock.

Nok et Arcade Fire-album, og nok et album jeg har godt kjennskap til. Bunnsolid indie rock/chamber pop her. Dette er et band som virkelig makter å skape et koherent lydbilde hele veien gjennom et album. Lyden her er nostalgisk og sommerlig, selv om det deler flere likheter med vinteralbumet Funeral. Det er et prosjekt som utforsker og søker tilbake til oppveksten, til en fortid som man (dessverre) ikke lenger kan oppleve på samme vis, både grunnet et samfunn som stadig er i utvikling og ford9 fortid nettopp er fortid. Nesten en femmer her, altså. Top 3: Suburban War, Modern Man, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

good

Very cool. Love the style they achieved. I think Empty Room was my favorite but a lot of good ones. 7.9/10

enjoyed it relaxing would listen to it on a long car journey in the summer set feeling.

-always in the mood for this album -lots of variety in the songs -nice vocals and fun sounds -will listen again

Really enjoyed. Cohesive sound and most songs delivered.

😃

7.5/10 Wonderful album

Great album wow!

INPUT = {"artist": "Arcade Fire", "album": "The Suburbs"} LINEUP = {"men": 5, "women": 2} FEATURED_ARTISTS = {"men": 0, "women": 0} TOTAL_MEN = 5 TOTAL_WOMEN = 2 WOMEN_PERCENTAGE = 29 OUTPUT = "Score adjusted accordingly. 4/5"

Love

As the band describes it, "The Suburbs" is "a letter from the suburbs". It captures a sort of nostalgic yet compelling picture of growing up, complete with interplay between warm, youthful memories and a feeling of angst for the future. The tracks, which often flow in and out of each other in transition, are varied in style and tone. Arcade Fire move into straightforward rock in tracks such as "Month of May", then readjust into a reflective synth of "Half Light I"; but many of the songs have a bouncy, rhythmic jangle that I have come to associate the album with. Butler's dramatic vocals emphasise the lyrical themes of the album, and is reinforced by wall of sound esque production hearkening back to the orchestral strings of its prior albums. While it may slip into messiness, and drags at times, the album succeeds in capturing the "feel" of suburbia, as well as the liminal space between youth and adulthood.

Arcade Funeral are a strange beast for me. I like everything on this album and always have, but somehow I tend to check how long I've been listening, even if it isn't even that long. So even if mostly it feels like a four, I have to give it three. And listening to Wasted Hours as I write, again I want to go for four. Oh, sod it. Four. Damn you, Arcade Fire!

Pretty alright, some solid radio favorites but also the others stand on their own ok. The album has stood the test of time longer than I thought it would.

great

Never really listened to Arcade Fire. Orchestral indie pop another reviewer described it as. Well to me that is pretty good. Thanks generator for showing me this again. When a song ends and you consider putting it back on again then clearly it is capturing your attention.

This album has a great theme. 'The Suburbs' - simple. And the way a lot of the tracks play with the theme is fantastic. 'Wasted Hours', 'Sprawl I', 'Sprawl II', 'We Used to Wait' and of course 'the Suburbs' all bring different perspectives to the idea and contribute to a wider picture. But the album is long and not all of the tracks can claim to do this effectively. 'Month of May' kinda bangs, but what is it for? It contributes very little thematicly. This is also true of 'Deep Blue' and even 'Rococo', though these tracks do add to a peaceful serenity and the feeling of 'sprawl'. What I'm trying to say, is that I think this album would be better if it was shorter and tighter. As you expect on an Arcade Fire album, a lot of the songwriting is superb, but I suspect the feeling of suburban serenity would actually be stronger without a few of the more listless tracks.

Didn't know this band, but really enjoyed the album. Hit my mood bang on.

Yes I enjoy this album and have listened to it many times over the years. It was a great album to keep me company when I did my weekly 1 hour walk home from work. I no longer do that wss as ll but I still listen to the album.

Had a lot of fun with this one. Would listen to it again. Gefällt bestimmt M.

This is not what I thought Arcade Fire sounded like, but idk what I thought they sounded like or why. Was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed this album. I thought they captured a specific mood really well while still having a lot of variation to keep the album interesting. Would definitely listen again. Fav song: Ready To Start - also liked The Suburbs, Modern Man, City With No Children and Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) Least fav: Empty Room

This album simultaneously makes me nostalgic for growing up in the city (or at least in the suburbs of the city) and makes me desperate to leave the city and stand somewhere green before there's nowhere green left to stand. Favourite song: Modern Man (or Ready to Start) Least: Half Life I

12# Prologue: Been a fan of Arcade Fire for a while but when I did know them I wasnt into hearing full albums, so, needless to say, never heard this album front to back, but i think this will be an experience and a good one, i wish. It was. The themes on this are very current ones today. "And it seems strange How we used to wait for letters to arrive But what's stranger still Is how something so small can keep you alive We used to wait We used to waste hours just walking around We used to wait All those wasted lives in the wilderness downtown" Wasted lives.. maybe that were better ones, calm, without stress and needing of infinite stimulation. People had time to process things, be creative, fill the time with hard things that recompensate after a long period. The sound of it emanates calmness but at the same time a feeling of dread.

I enjoyed this more than I remembered enjoying it originally. Very nostalgic sound for me now, I guess.

Overall: 8/10 Didn’t know what to expect, but I’m satisfied. The composition of some of these songs are absolutely amazing. Lord knows I love that indie sound ooh this was good. This was a fun album to listen to and I will definitely be re-listening to some of these songs. The suburbs - wow, this is amazing. Right up my alley. What a way to open an album! Ready to Start - ok nice lil catchy tune. Modern Man - good but won’t be revisiting. Rococo - same as last. Empty Room - Strong start. Not too long. Hyperactive af. Great transition to next song. Love it! City With No Children - Twas okay. Didn’t catch my attention too much. Half Light I - maravilloso. Half Light II (No Celebration) - what a seamless transition. Suburban War - Twas okay. Didn’t hit the ear strings fr. Month of May - same as last. Wasted Hours - good start. I think I’m a fan. Deep Blue - This is a nice lil vibe. Sounds like something in a movie. We Used to Wait - eh. Sprawl I (Flatland) - beautiful. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) - beautiful. The Suburbs (continued) - calm lil outro. Short n sweet.

Very good album. I had never listened to Arcade Fire but I really enjoyed this album. This is definitely between 4 and 5 stars. I love the concept of the album and the way how songs relate to each other. Month of May. The Suburbs, Sprawls (I and II), Half Light...great songs. It is probably a bit too long for my personal taste. With a couple less songs, this may have reached 5 stars.

Nostalgic one that I never paid enough attention to back when it came out!

I really liked this album!! Perfect 2010 vibes. My favourites were "The Suburbs" and "Modern Man". Very good start!

enjoyed very much - hadn't listened to them in years 3.5-4

I'm a sucker for 2000s indie music.

More than a little pretentious, but a lovely sound.

I enjoyed this record VERY much. Once I kind of latched onto the concept of nostalgia and needing to close the circle on the disappointment of growing up and transitioning from childhood to adulthood, I really dug what they were doing and how they did it. The music isn't nearly as "art-rock" as I thought it was going to be and does a great job of bridging that divide between kid or teen oriented to adult-contemporary sounds.

love it giving perks of wallflower

I guess I've never listened to Arcade Fire and this was fire. Twice in a row listen which rarely happens.

it was gud

loved: - modern man esp - empty room - city with no children - half light I esp - suburban war esp - sprawl II esp top 1 the vocalists sounds so much like bruce springsteen. didn't like how long it was, it always makes me feel like im doing a task rather than for my own enjoyment

"If I could have it back, all the time that we wasted - I'd only waste it again." Yeah this one hits like a truck.

I think I am the exact age to feel unbearably nostalgic to the point of melancholy over a lot of early 2010's music. Great listen, wish they let Regine sing more. Wish Win was a better guy.

Not bad indie rock. Interesting with different instruments being used.

This album is another reminder of how great this band once was. There was the almost perfect debut, they played with Bowie at what turned out to be his penultimate public performance, they made this album, they really did have a lot of things going for them. Fast forward some 20 years and the front man had some creepy episodes of extramarital sexual relationshis that he handled quite weirdly quite publicly. Eg bykind of writing an album about it but not doing any interviews, then announcing a split from his wife and partner in the band, but insisting the band would continue... And despite the fact they really made some great music that still holds up incredibly well, as evident in this album, you kind of just want them to end the band, sort out their private lives and then take it from there in a few years.

Nearly perfect expression of the melancholy of becoming and adult in the modern world. Very Existential and kind of hard to listen to, but impeccably rendered. Deceptively Post-rock in a way: a lot of drones that cycle through a single riff, as instruments float in and out of the main dirge, often atonal, putting a filminess on the song that creates a cognitive dissonance, distorted, teetering on disturbed. Nicely done. When I first bought this (after it came out) I thought it lacked punch, but hearing it now, I think the band accomplishes something very ambitious. More atmospheric, dispensing with the traditional verse-chorus-bridge rock composition standard. Not something I'll put on every day for fun, but good art nonetheless.

A classic from my youth!

Like the band's debut, The Suburbs is a coming of age album. But instead of focusing on the notable, impactful moments of one's life, it focuses on the mundane. There are references to the suburbs here - the sprawl of houses, dead shopping malls - but many of the themes are more universal. "Ready to Start" tackles not just alienation but also trying to fit in amongst your peers. "Suburban War" recalls friend groups we grew apart from over the years. Musically this is more straight-up rock than the band's typical fair, though it still contains a lot of chamber pop flourishes. The synths on "Half Light II" are a highlight, as is the unexpectedly danceable "Sprawl II." Despite its length it does cover very few ideas musically, and the third quarter of the album drags a bit. But there are enough highlights and poignant lyrics to carry it.

Indie rock plutôt sympa !

*2010. *I really like this album. Sprawl II is my fave Arcade Fire song, plus we have The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Modern Man, We Used to Wait, and City with No Children. RATING - 8/10

Solid album. Not their best, but definitely a four.

I was obsessed with AF's album Funeral in 2009. Then I completely skipped Neon Bible. I think the buzz was it wasn't as good as Funeral. The Suburbs then hit, and the titular song was everywhere. It's a great song, and yet not powerful enough to pull me into a full album, which fans were calling a triumph. Now a decade and a half has passed and I've finally listened. It's bloated, but not necessarily padded. Although not every song is Great, as a whole it mostly works. The lesser-thans are still fine, and the highs are pretty high. Standout songs: The Suburbs (which I do think deserves to be on a list of Great Songs of the 2010's), Ready To Start, Modern Man, Half Light 1, We Used To Wait, Sprawl II (which is so so good). I like the Spike Jonze film too.

For me this one is a musical representation of what it felt like to grow up in the late cold war years...great freedom to explore but saddled with a feeling of apocalyptic dread. It's not their most complete work, but still an amazing record.

Good indie rock. Nothing groundbreaking, but I had a good time listening to it. 4/5

millennial hipster core music, like losing your hearing in a sweaty packed warehouse full of irony

Solid rock album. Usually don't enjoy arcade fire but this was good.

Great album, easy to listen, quite laid back. Solid throughout.

I have always liked this album. Listened to it again, and business as usual, liked it.

Nice pop-rock

Fantastic!

This is Arcade Fire's third album, and for it marked something of a turning point in their evolution as a band. While it's not as raw as their first album, Funeral, it does feel a lot more refined and relaxed than their earlier works, and in my opinion stands head and shoulders above their second album, Neon Bible. And honestly, everything that came after this was, for me, a little bit less engaging. I guess what I'm saying is this was where Arcade Fire Peaked, though I still count Funeral as my favourite album of theirs. A strong 4.5 out of 5 stars for this one.

This is a great album. Perfect for it's time.

Good with definite bright spots but also weaknesses as the album progressed.

fave track: least fave track: thoughts while listening: MILAF (man i love arcade fire). Empty room is sick, the strings are we kiddinggggg! oooo i like suburban war. i like rhythmic piano im hearing in a bunch of these, very diff from their last album i listened to.

No. 348/1001 The Suburbs 4/5 Ready to Start 4/5 Modern Man 4/5 Rococo 3/5 Empty Room 4/5 City with No Children 4/5 Half Light I 3/5 Half Light II 4/5 Suburban War 4/5 Month of May 3/5 Wasted Hours 4/5 Deep Blue 3/5 We Used to Wait 4/5 Sprawl I 3/5 Sprawl II 4/5 The Suburbs NR Average: 3,67 Enjoyed this quite a bit. Not the biggest fan of his voice, but the songs are arranged nicely. Could have also been a bit shorter.

I'm a bit biased because I love Arcade Fire, and this album belongs to an era that feels like it's never coming back. I mean, when they were actually good

- Indie rock - chill/fun vibes

Bom álbum, me dá vontade de dançar.

Spent a lot of time with this album when it came out, and haven’t really since. Wish I’d spent a little more time on this listen.

8.25/10 - We both liked it and it had a fun vibe. It was also from the year we were born.

Almost 5

I was put on. This is a solid album that has certainly influenced modern indie. Definitely heavy on their title song, but creative for the time.

It’s certainly good!!!!

Absolute Retro-Vibes für mich. Love it.

Not bad, kinda drones together in a way I dont love and is forgetable

Exploring suburbia is fertile ground for a concept album, and the band do a good job of mining it while somehow avoiding making things feel trite or one-note. “Suburban War” rides a guitar line that sounds like The Byrds, and it’s nice to hear Regine Chassagne take the lead on the new wavey “Sprawl II.” Also, Win Butler apparently described the sound of this album as “a mix of Depeche Mode and Neil Young,” which I totally don’t hear, but whatever. This is the first time I’ve listened to this album in full, and while it’s strong, I’m trying to decide whether it’s superior to their debut album, which I know much better, and at any rate I’ve got a lawn to mow and tires to rotate.

Enough of a concept to hold the record together, but not so restrictive that it plods. I'd heard it before but still like it.

It’s no Funeral. It’s also a little long and self indulgent. But solid overall.

yeah pretty good!

Very nostalgic ig, but it was a good listen. Although it is quite long.

Довольно легкий альбом по звучанию Очень понравился стиль песен, напоминает немного the beetles, а инструментал саундтреки из игры life is strange

I remember when this record came out. And I feel like I slept on it…. This record is fantastic. I think it might be a bit too long. There are a lot of awesome songs on here and a few mediocre ones. If the trimmed the fat it would be a perfect album. The mediocre songs aren’t bad by any means, but they pale in comparison to the other songs. I’m interested in checking into this band more.

was expecting it to be mid but actually the songs are so different and sometimes even weird-ish and I like it

Ta weno 👍🏻es un álbum que pondría de fondo mientras trabajo en algo. El tema que mas me gustó fué The suburbs ( es el primero xD). No estoy acostumbrada a este estilo musical pero la verdad si me gustó el álbum.

I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first time I listened to it, and honestly, I’ve soured on arcade fire quite a bit recently, but to give it less than a four would be to neglect how influential this album has been on my own music taste.

Kind of forgot about this band tbh, some absolutely great songs on this album. Very unique sound too

A decent album, highlighted by some absolutely ripping tracks, suffers from being a bit bloated. Cute concept to tie an album together with a recurring cities and towns motif.

Great album. Lots of great songs, by a great band. 4,4/5.

Probably the first album in this project where I remember it coming out and I listened to it. I was a big fan of Arcade Fire at the time and that’s waned a bit. But this album still holds up. A good theme and narrative. Probably a bit too long, but I think that about a lot of albums.

Loved it ! Amazing discovery ^~^ Fav track : Half Light II (No Celebration) and Culture War

It’s certainly not a sound I hear frequently. That said, it was pleasing listening to the whole album. The melody, instrumentals, and storytelling were well done.

Best Arcade Fire album, probably beats out Reflektor personally but it’s pretty close. Does a good job of painting the picture of the suburbs as somewhere that feels safe but never lets you leave and slowly encompasses your world.

i know some songsss it was perfect to study, very jumpy...

I do consider myself an Arcade Fire Fan

It's kinda good and I enjoy listening to it even though it's not really my genre

Not bad, not my taste

Reminds me of growing up

I liked this album. I thought it started off well but I thought it got slightly stale in the middle. But the end of the album made up for it and rounded the album out. I will definitely be replaying some songs from this album.

Very long album but some really good songs

And with this, I have gotten all 3 Arcade Fire albums on the list. Why do they have 3 on this list anyway? If I had to guess, Neon Bible was included soon after release to be with the masterpiece that is Funeral, but was then replaced by The Suburbs after its release because the people making the list thought it was better than Neon Bible. Now, both Neon Bible and The Suburbs have since been removed from the list after their initial inclusions, but because this website takes from all versions of the book, I get to listen to all three albums! And I got them in order! Yeah, I really liked this one too. What can I say? I really like early Arcade Fire. Obviously, I can't call this better than Funeral, but can I call it better than Neon Bible? Yeah! I'd say so. The Suburbs is just a nice album. It's got a good concept, though I find its execution to be a little in-your-face. Take a shot every time they say "suburbs" on this thing. You wouldn't die like you would if you drank for every mention of girls on Licensed To Ill, but you'd get pretty intoxicated so maybe don't do it actually. Still, respectable concept that fits perfectly for this band. Production-wise, this thing definitely takes more cues from Funeral than it does Neon Bible, but it also progresses the band's style in a way that makes the album feel fresh and not like a re-hashing of past ideas. Songs like the title track and "We Used To Wait" put a more energetic spin on the Arcade Fire style, while the Régine Chassagne-led "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" adds more synths to the mix. I like that. It makes the album stand out while still building on the strengths of the prior records. The writing is just as good as ever. I will say that the album's a little long for my liking, but it could be way worse. Overall, The Suburbs is a great addition to the Arcade Fire discography. It sure would suck if each of this band's albums proceeded to get worse and worse from here on out and for the band's reputation to tank due to that and serious allegations directed at Win Butler, wouldn't it? Hahahahahaha. High 4/5.

Das erste Album. Ich weiss noch nicht. Jetzt ist Zeit zum Schlafen gehen.

Arcade Fire has always been kind of at the periphery of my musical interest. A band I've always thought about listening to, but never quite got around to it. I liked this though. I'll have to give it a deeper listen.

Not something I would listen to often, but this album is really quite good. 4 stars or B+.

Back when they knew how to make music

If you want huge orchestral indie-pop, you don't need to look any further than Arcade Fire. That being said, it was a bit same-y. Really good, but..

This is one of my favorite albums, however not my favorite AF album.

Sounds like the music coming out of my daughter’s room in high school - oh wait it WAS the music that coming out of her room! She has good tastes!

Loved this record when I was a teenager, still great but god they let themselves go after this

Good millenial coded indie rock. Not quite as good as Funeral but very solid. 7/10

I was only familiar with the title song on the album but I wish I’d discovered it sooner. I’m always in the mood for a bit of nostalgic melancholy. Although I wish one review didn’t point out that you could play “kids” bingo with this album - he does says “kids” a distracting amount of times! It does feel like it gets a bit samey towards the end and the run length could have been cut down. I’m looking forward to listening to it more.

It was nice, there are some songs here I think i've heard before, its really cool to see Arcade Fire make up stuff that sounds like it could be released in modern day, and the instrumentation is fantastic, I like seeing it bend and stretch in ways I never expected. Idk, maybe a bit too long?, but its fine. 8/10

J'apprends à aimer. Comme je disaisnavec Funeral, je n'ai jamais vraiment su retrouver l'intérêt Arcade Fire après. Hier, Sprawl II m'a marqué assez positivement. L'aspect nostalgique et l'unité des textes sur l'univers de la banlieue, j'ai trouvé ça bien aussi. C'est un thème que j'affectionne beaucoup, que la toune "Banlieue" des Cowboys rend bien aussi, mais en français et 10 ans avant.

i’ve already listened to this but super fun and awesome

8/10 Best songs: Ready to Start, Empty Room, Half Light II (No Celebration), Month of May, We Used to Wait The album propels the listener forward with forceful bass and drums. The album is largely medium tempo, and feels a little long. The highs are very high.

8/10

Enjoyed this one, sounded cool. 4 stars

Yea this is right in my q zone

Ayy, another Arcade Fire album that I liked. I had written this band off after only hearing Funeral + Reflektor, but learned with Neon Bible that they do, in fact, make music I like. This one, I think, doesn't reach the same level as Neon Bible, but it's not too far away from it either. I was engaged with the album throughout, and gave it 2 listens. 3.5/5

Fun album

so far i like all the songs apart from empty room

Forgot how much i liked this

Excellent album, continuing their upward trajectory as David Bowie’s favourite band in later life.Grammy winning, tuneful, conceptual.

8.5 / 10

Really good album that I have not heard before. It's kind of pop rock but very chilled out. When I was listening to it I was guessing it came out in the 90's so I was way off. The music is a little bit ethereal with slower beats, it's really nice. Nothing ground breaking, nothing that I would really rock out to but just good music that is easy to listen to. I listened to it at work several times, it's perfect for that. I'm going to put this on my favorites because I plan to listen to it many more times.

Already knew the album quite extensively. Prior fan of Arcade Fire, favorite album is reflektor. Quintessential Arcade Fire, alternative rock. The piano + acoustic guitar, slight upbeat rythmic section, backup vocals on the chorus. Songs feel connected, not only because of the smooth transitions but also in style. Yet it doesn't feel too redundant, pleasant listen all the way. Tracks that stood out: We Used to Wait Rococo Modern Man The Suburbs

Best Track - "Ready To Start"

If is there any Arcade Fire album that belongs to this list, I would put the suburbs. You can tell how differently sonically and lyrically the band is, and I love how they capture so well the American suburbs culture and some of the dilemmas of stranded relationships and the fun people would have (always potraited in movies). I belive "Rococo" is basically the band as well- good to see them self conscious of how hispter they are. This is a good album, cant say the same for their discography. 4/5

Very unique sound, only knew them from their singles. Good eye opener.

Vibes: 5/5 Instruments: 3/5 Production: 4/5 Emotional Value: 4/5 Storytelling: 4/5 Album Cover: +0.5 Stand Outs: The Suburbs, Ready to Start Overall Rating: 4.1

Fuck Win Butler but yeah this one holds up. Didn't have the patience for this album when I was younger but coming back to it I can really appreciate the grandeur and ambition of this project. Hate that all the most annoying people I knew growing up were right about this one 4.25/5

very lovely as expected

I really enjoyed this, surprised i hadn't heard them before.

I was expecting this to be another boring, spacey 2010s indie album that thinks itself much deeper than it really is, but this is that spacey indie rock sound done right. I really like the mixture of traditional strings with techno-sounding synthesizers. Towards the end of the album, it does feel a bit long, however. 4/5

Enjoyed this way more than expected! Didn't really follow their albums after their debut (life wasn't much about music at the time!). This was a really enjoyable listen.

Love arcade fire. We used to wait and the suburbs are obvious stand outs. I really appreciate the music but something doesn’t work for me? It might be me? I was I no my most formative high school years throughout this release and maybe the angst i felt then surfaces once again while listening to this music? No low points. Not a perfect 5 because there’s just something I’m not feeling and I can’t put my finger on it.

I wish I had been in a better mood when I listened to this album. I think it could be really good but the frustration for other external events did not allow it to break through.

What a great album. Perfect example that you can make a timeless banger without playing any technically difficult music. They already had every eye in indie music on them after 'Funeral' + 'Neon Bible' and dropped a classic. My favorite is a mega-album I made with 5 songs from Funeral & 5 songs from Suburbs, but both are amazing. I finally got to see them a couple years ago after years of listening.

This was always my fav Arcade Fire and it still is… spiritually deducting points for being Arcade Fire

Glad I finally listened to this!

Ik vind dit wel aardig. De openingstrack ken ik zowaar. Een beetje vage hipsterachtige zemelmuziek. Indierock met een pop-randje en een soort shoegaze invloeden. CKV leraar approved spul. Als snob kun je jezelf lekker in een hokje plaatsen als je dit noemt in combinatie met The Flaming Lips en Bon Iver. Een beetje wat ik me voorstel wat David Bowie zou maken als 'ie rond 1980 geboren zou zijn. Je ziet me dit zeker niet elke dag aanzetten, want daar vind ik het veel te vermoeiend voor. Er zit zo'n soort zuigende kerkgalm in die teveel erin hakt bij me. Voor een keertje vind ik dit wel prima. Waar ik album 831 nog een zuinige drie sterren gaf, ga ik dit album wat vrijgevig vier sterren toeschuiven. Ik had liever gehad dat dit album 20 minuten korter was, maar dat komt dus omdat ik er een beetje moe van word.

A bittersweet listen. An album that meant so much to me for a long time that has a hollow feel to it. I’ll always love the songs but I don’t think it will ever hit like it did

Sounds better to me now than it did then...

I like these guys. This is the kind of music. I usually listen to so it seems kind of unfair reading them this way, but I liked it very much. Simple as that.

A well rounded album

I love concept albums. These songs were like nostalgic dreams of a worry free childhood that never existed except in our minds. KISS’s 1998 melotramatic album “Psycho Circus” tried to invoke the same nostalgia response but fell short of its goal, mostly because the songs suck ass. “The Suburbs” is decidedly less sleepy than their previous work, though still has that ethereal, indie quality. Will listen again.

Sublime. Almost perfect.

didnt lock in on the lyrics but larve this idk if id listen again in full but it was a great listening experience rating a 4 but would do 4.5

Definitely an album getting added to the rotation of mine. Enjoyed way more than expected and is the perfect for a kind of rainy slow day to fall into the ether.

Really reminds me of uni. Great album

Great album

i mean i just don't understand what has indie hipster music done to you that makes you dislike them so much. you see, i have an irregular hate toward canadian music because of leonard cohen. i hate him like he murdered my family. but i guess arcade fire is some expectation cause their first three album run is just so increditably good. although we all know what happened later. i remembered me being a boring middle schooler. hauled into the water of society like a fish suddenly released in 9th grade. hurt online but also gradually healed. one thing the suburbs is about is not being able to return back to the past. i looked up and realised that i am now approximately 5900 days old. still a long way to go before i bite the dust. i was writing about how we move on despite death's looming in the past. but now the only thing i can write about is a certain fear of arriving at the end of adolescence under a sudden ephipany of existansial crisis. and the wish to return. leaving one place for another, then another for yet another. going back to that naive summer holiday in england. when me and my friends are still connected. when i had a good summer with the things i love. when i was never being bullied by people because of my fault. when i was not afraid of ceasing to be, biting the dust, kicking the bucket, and shuffling off the mortal coil. before anxiety and fear devours me. i was running toward an unchasable future only to discover that the past always look the better. so hard to be an overachiving teenager trying so hard to be like a grown up. what have i become? trim some songs and it will be better. 4/5

Throwback to my university days! Yeah it's good. I think I like it more than I did then.

Still a great album

Never got around to this, but it's great.

Aptly named record. Lyrically musically… This is great! Didn’t think I liked Arcade Fire, but guess I’d never really spent enough time listening. I couldn’t stop listening to this one. A “discovery” for me in the sense that I will definitely be returning to this album!

Really just nice indie rock album. Very much a period piece of where alt was goin at the time. It's fairly reflective. Vocals and instrumental aren't revolutionary but they are pleasant to listen to. Not the most variety Lyrics are simple yet effective. Songs get stuck in your head. Solid and can see myself listening again. Great passive listen but I will definitely need an active one as well. For now, 4 but we'll see if that changes.

Not my favorite Arcade Fire album but this is very good on a nice sound system at high volume

Kwintesencja tamtych czasów. Komercyjna, a jednak uchodząca za alternatywną. Chwytliwa, a jednak odbierana za artystyczną. Oryginalna, a przecież było wtedy tyle zespołów, które brzmiały podobnie. Słucha się jej i słyszy się lato, podróże samochodem i nie do końca szaloną młodość. 7/10.

What an emotionally potent and consistent record. I loved almost every minute of it. Definitely plan to keep this in my catalog.

their best album maybe? maybe it's funeral

"Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" is one of the best songs EVERRRRR. I don't know how you make a song so fucking good. Gotta rewind 'cause it's never enough just one time. I'm happy to be alive just so I can hear this song. I enjoy this album a bunch. There are certain tracks I'm not totally-totally into, but still those tracks lend themselves to the overall theme and place of this album. Some songs I absolutely love, like the aforementioned as well as "Ready to Start" which is also an exceedingly-good-ass song. I enjoy this album. I will play it again as I have.

After the (for me) disappointing Neon Bible, and as a relatively early fan of Funeral (thanks to RYM!), this was a welcome return back to form. My fave is actually Sprawl II and I wish Regine sung more songs. Generally the songs are just very well written and are so satisfying and the concept works. One more good album by these guys (Reflektor) and then things go horribly south.

It’s beautifully mixed, every instrument is given its own space and sits comfortably in it. It’s nice indie/proto-grunge sort of stuff with a bit of synthpop influence, and it’s like it’s been rinsed in prog rock and then wrung out again. The instrumentation is very cool, I like how swells of strings will appear out of nowhere, and then they’re gone again. There’s a lot of Pixies in there. A very rewarding listen.

A really great album. For me, this was their best record.

Fun album, very much indie rock. Its enjoyable, although mastering isn't a standout. Reminds me a bit of The Killers in some songs. The seamless transition between songs was incredibly satisfying

I feel like a fool for dreading this album. Just because it’s long and has that title… something something premature judgement kills. God this was amazing. I didn’t expect to have any fun with this and here I am utterly charmed. The last three tracks drag a bit but man this was square in my corner

I liked this one, but it felt like it was straddling a jam band and chill rock.

Pretty good start to finish. Tempo of all songs being similar can get monotonous when listening through the full album.

I think that I liked this. It is the first time that I've listened to the whole album in one sitting, rather than snatches of Arcade Fire here and there. My favourite song is Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains). It's nostalgia and dread all at once, but in a good way. I'll give this another go at some point

I feel like this is that last Arcade Fire album that I really liked. I appreciate the mixed nostalgia for growing up in the burbs, and I suppose knowing the area of suburban Houston where Win Butler grew up helps too. (That cover photo might as well have been my house, though I was in the city, baby.) I liked this quite a bit when it came out, and revisiting it reminded me of lots of songs I liked, particularly the Régine-led ones. While Arcade Fire are a lot less exciting these days, this is a reminder of how formidable they can be.

I am not a huge fan of Arcade Fire, but I forgot that I liked a few songs on this album. I recognized way more songs than I thought I would.

One of my favorites.

Never listened to these guys cause I didn't think I'd like it. Wrong! Great music.

B+ The Suburbs 5 Ready To Start 5 Modern Man 3 Rococo 3 Empty Room 3 City With No Children 3 Half Light I 4 Half Light II (No Celebration) 3 Suburban War 4 Month Of May 4 Wasted Hours 3 Deep Blue 5 We Used To Wait 4 Sprawl I (Flatland) 5 Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) 3 The Suburbs (Continued) 4 I was always curious how I’d rate this one because I never got far past the first two songs, which are all time Arcade Fire. But it was good. Got some new goodies.

Class

This loses a full star because Butler was a creep.

Me encantó, lo escucharía más veces 4.5/5

After a few listens, this turned out better than I expected. Nice, atmospheric indie. Nothing too spectacular, but a very nice listen.

Good album I can dig these guys

Good

great

Not my fav by AF, but it is still overall a banger

pretty damn good

Ready to Start, The Suburbs

This wasn’t my favorite album from them, but I just love their sound. It’s big, it feels cinematic, it’s fun to sing along with in my car.

Loved this but not as much as their debut. Starts strong, i need to spend more time on the back end

A note on Arcade Fire as a whole - 10 years ago, I would have considered them a top tier band. Combination of my own tastes evolving, their output really flatlining, and Win being accused of some not cool stuff - AF has fallen many rungs for me. Their most recent performance on SNL was one of the worst I've ever seen, even by SNL standards. All that said, even when I did listen to these guys, I found myself preferring Funeral and Neon Bible over Suburbs - just felt that Suburbs lacked some of that punch of their earlier albums. On relisten, I think this album is actually better than I remember it, and has at least 5-6 songs that I think are worth revisiting, and (as a very charitable listen) that lack of punch kind and the of works in capturing some of the sheen/emptiness of suburban life.

4/5

I remember really liking this in college. Ready to Start and Sprawl hold up really well but the middle of the album does drone on quite a bit with a bunch of midrange background songs. I'm going to keep my favorites but I think I just "like" this album overall now.

Arcade fire genera siempre una hermosa sensacion de familiaridad. 4.5

Ispada da su oni otprilike vrhunac ove ere indie muzike. Bilo me strah što je album od 16 pjesama, dovoljno je raznolikosti da ne postane smor. Opet se čuje neka atmosfera općenite pretencioznosti i ono još znam da su grozni ljudi pa mi samo to kvari dojam inače vrlo dobrog albuma.

4.5 really. I feel bad giving it a 4, but it wasn't quite a 5.

In my brain, all the early 2000s white hipster bands are the same thing. It’s just something I missed in the time. But whenever I listen to the best of it, I realize how wrong my association of it is. This album is so good. The only thing keeping it from being perfect is the middle drags a bit. But this just sounds pleasant and familiar but still has moments of surprise and joy

Still not sure what to make of this band - I liked some tracks, while others were meh, but overall the album was OK.

Chill cool vibes is the way to describe these guys. They have good stuff but this isn't something id throw on all the time but its something I could enjoyed if being played anywhere. 3.5 goin up.

A simply good album. Went quadruple platinum on tumblr back in the day LOL

I never really got into Arcade Fire, probably because they were made fun of so much in Hipster Runoff back in the day. But this is honestly quite good, if a bit self serious.

This album is an interesting blend of indie rock and folk with sweeping orchestration. Some of it is "poppy" and some a bit sophisticated. Overall it is a pretty unique sound and it holds up well.

Good indie music

Solid. U2 milennialsanna. Mjög flott soundscape og góður fílingur í þessu hjá krökkunum. Ein af plötum þessa tímabils. Algjört 2010.

Cover 6.5 Huh. The last time I listened to Arcade Fire was when Funeral came out and aside from one song (Rebellion), I never got into them. Their most streamed song on Spotify, The Suburbs, is kinda boring to me, at least after first listen. However, I do like several songs. In fact, I really like several songs. Guess I have been missing out. Faves: Modern Man, Empty Room Half Light II, and Sprawl II. This list is not exhaustive. I like most of the songs on this album but 16 songs is a lot of songs for one album.

This is my shit!! 2010s indie rock is the best. Half life II still hits deep.

Initially didn't like Arcade Fire other than Wake Up. Had multiple mates that are huge fans and I've tried and tried and repeatedly listened but I just don't hear what they hear. It's good. It's not amazing. That could also just be based on forced familiarity. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.

This is an odd album for me. I enjoyed listening to it a lot and even gave it a second listen. I'll probably go out and add it to my collection but to me there is no stand-out track that really grabbed me. Maybe it will grow on me more in subsequent listens and I'll think I should have gone 5 stars but I could also see me not listening again for years and not really missing it.

starkes album 4 sterne

'The kids want to be so hard / But in my dreams we're still screaming / And running thru the yard.' As if Americana got hold of The Beatles, Arcade Fire is a Canadian cry for their lost-souled neighbors across the border. This is to say that the best I can do in appreciation of this band is to underscore their brilliant pop sensibilities, their simple song structures, in-the-world lyricism rather than political messaging, and vocal interpretations that are always achievements of discharge. 'I feel like I've been living in / A city w/ no children in it / A garden left for ruin by a / billionaire inside of a private prison.' In other words, the great and undervalued comp for this Montreal group can only be Neil Young, that other Canadian healer and hitmaker.

Album: Indie Rock A very solid effort from Arcade Fire. An album full of big anthems, very well produced and arranged, with some passionate vocal performances from husband/wife duo Win and Régine and some really great instrumental work. A good listen if you need something big, loud, anthemic, but not over the top and overblown. Great stuff. 4/5

Perfectly fine.

Good stuff.

Pick the influence: Beatles or Queen or Bowie or Talking Heads or Tears for Fears, etc

I have mentioned several times that as a younger, dumber dude back in the day, I was just straight up Metal ‘til I die! So, I missed a lot of alternative bands that are now some of my favorites, like Rage Against the Machine, Tool, and Jane’s Addiction. I know, they are metal-ish, but when they came on the scene, I was still grieving the death of hair metal. I would have thought by 2010 I would have been more open-minded, but alas, still dumb. I missed out on The Arcade Fire. At that time, I was listening to the Dan Patrick Show and he’d play their song, Wake Up every Friday to send us into the weekend and that was a great song. I listened to an Arcade Fire album and was not impressed. Perhaps The Suburbs is their only good album, because it is good. Around 2010, we were in a kind of folk rock revival with Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper and Mumford and Sons. I was against this movement, not heavy enough. Though it must be mentioned, I actually liked Blitzen Trapper. I’m a stubborn, stubborn idiot, turns out. Anyway, as I listen to The Suburbs, I see the error of my ways. It’s not some country/folk album, it’s an album that rocks. Maybe they pulled a Dylan and went electric on this album, but every song is good. Month of May sounds like a lost Queens of the Stone Age song. Lately, I’ve decided to weigh the importance of these albums less, even though some truly are, and more judge the albums by, “Did I enjoy this?” The Suburbs, is it important? I don’t know, but I sure as hell enjoyed it.

The Suburbs is probably the easiest AF album to get in to, it's catchy and has a clear theme, but I do think it lacks some of the mystery and intrigue that their first album had. As a whole I think it's still really well thought out and flows from one song to the next. There are a few songs that I feel like get a little to "disco" and and bass drum stomp that begins and ends one can get a little bit cliche sounding. Overall enjoyed listening to this.

Good songs

The Arcade Fire album that I'm most familiar with. Very solid front to back. This is a proper album, the songs all fit together and I can't listen to them on their own. I definitely enjoy myself every time I throw this on but I wouldn't say it stands out massively for me so not quite a 5.

Another band I’m pretty much familiar with by name only. Immediately I appreciated the songs and lyrics - particularly Ready to Start. I enjoyed the themes explored in this album and how it all seemed to tie together with the suburbs and war reference throughout. Also gave me an Elliot Smith vibe. I didn’t realize at first they were Canadian, and I appreciated the inclusion of French at the end of Empty Room. The inclusion of different culture, slang, and languages is always really fun in music to me. I listened to the album throughout the weekend and plan to revisit again.

I wonder if they knew that this album was going to be massive as they were making it or if they just got really lucky. They do this kind of music really well. “Sprawls II” is definitely the highlight.

I think Arcade Fire is one of the most overrated bands but I do like the title track. This album is better than Neon Bible. Do I maybe like Arcade Fire? This album is about the lead singer's childhood in The Woodlands...rich kid complains about being rich. There's like a modern Cure feel to this album. In thirty years when they reboot Stranger Things for the 2000s, Arcade Fire is going to be all over the soundtrack. Month of May is as punk as a post punk band is going to get. We Used to Wait is good. This album threads the needle on continuity and variation across the songs.

Fantastic album, can't believe I never heard any of it before. This must have been huge when I was a kid, but I don't remember it at all. "Suburban War" is probably my favorite song off of this one, but "The Suburbs" "Sprawl II" and "Modern Man" are all up there. A lot of filler tracks on it too, so the nice sounding stuff is even better. Add a star for being from my favorite city, subtract one for SA allegations, and you end up with a solid 4 stars.

- um álbum criativo com mudanças na composição, temas relevantes, liricismo - talvez sejam os pais do indie? - se tivessem focado um pouco mais na produção, poderia ser o álbum da década

The album as a whole is a solid banger. Certain songs I wouldn't listen to on their own but as a whole they compliment each other

Some real bangers on here. Arcade Fire was a really great band back in the day and this album was really good.

I guess I did not have a clear sense of who Arcade Fire were prior to listening to this album. I thought I was going to be hearing a fiddle and accordion album, but was very pleasantly surprised with an album that did not feature either. In fact, The Suburbs falls somewhere between like-like and love for me.

This was the last great Arcade Fire album.

Solid early 2000's dreamy rock.

Yep, good album.

Haven't listened to Arcade Fire much but this is a solid album

Arcade Fire is just easy to listen to. It doesn't challenge anything, and sometimes that's exactly what I'm looking for. When in the right mood, it's a good listen.

Very good album.

I wouldn’t listen to this regularly but this is definitely a great album

Good, but a bit too long.

I’d only heard a few Arcade Fire songs before, and honestly didn’t expect to love this album as much as I did. I thought the message might come across as a little heavy-handed, but it held together beautifully and was a great listen. I’m excited to go back through it again, since I imagine the lyrics will connect even more on repeat listens. My only worry is that some of the songs do blur together at times, with a bit of repetitiveness in the sound. Curious to see how it all ages. But loved it first listen! One of my favorites so far

Ideal for long cycling, will listen to it again. It’s not my favorite genre though.

Great album but tainted slightly now

Growing up in the suburbs might've broken me. Even as I've moved into urban spaces with people all around me, I still never make connections with my neighbors, live apart from community, and feel like I'm missing something fundamental about the human experience. But they were still my home, ya know? And I think this album taps into that dichotomy so well. The suburbs are Home, but they're also Damage, Separation, a source of some of America's damage and societal ailes. There's no easy feelings about them, no simple distillation of what the suburbs were and are.

Cet album a bien vieillie. Je préfère encore Funeral et Reflektor, mais je l'apprécie plus qu'à ça sortie.

Out of left field genius

I’ve never been a huge fan of Arcade Fire but I really liked this one for what it was. I didn’t love every song but I liked enough of them to be impressed.

Must have, awesome record

First time in a long time listening to this album, maybe even the first time I fully listened to it, and boy this album is long but it makes up for it, cuz it's pretty damn good. You could argue that a lot of the songs sound the same, and that's a solid point, but a lot of the subject matter in the lyrics are exactly the same. Is it a concept album? Or is there some story that goes a long with it? I honestly don't know what Arcade Fire was insinuating with this album, but whatever they were thinking really paid off for them. This album is pretty damn good.

Ah, the feeling of the Obama years.

My grandma likes it too. One star off because of empty room and city with no children. Wasted hours was a nice change of pace after month of may which was pretty good

Good

Fantastic. Finally an album I enjoy such a good refresher. I didn’t expect much but this blew my mind. Amazing production and so much emotion in this project. A mix of pop and rock I guess with my fav songs being The Suburbs and Half Light I. The only problem I have with it is that it’s way too long with repetitive songs and annoying vocals on a couple of tracks BUT other then that it was great. I’m giving it an 8.5/10 4.2/5

I love Arcade Fire so I already knew I liked the majority of the album but great to listen again. I think it says more about me than the album but I struggle to stay engaged with albums that are 45+ Minutes and I don't get the same enjoyment listening to it in pieces so that's the only negative with the suburbs for me. If you moved we used to wait and sprawl II up into the first 10 tracks you've got an incredible 40-45 minute album. But I'm sure I'm a heathen and missing some artistic reason why that would ruin it.

Not much hope going into it and it’s actually quite good. A little inconsistent. But what works really works well. 3.8 stars.

I think Arcade Fire is one of the most overrated bands but I do like the title track. This album is better than Neon Bible. Do I maybe like Arcade Fire? This album is about the lead singer's childhood in The Woodlands...rich kid complains about being rich. There's like a modern Cure feel to this album. In thirty years when they reboot Stranger Things for the 2000s, Arcade Fire is going to be all over the soundtrack. Month of May is as punk as a post punk band is going to get. We Used to Wait is good. This album threads the needle on continuity and variation across the songs.

Really good album - strong tracks throughout - makes me want to revisit their other albums

Another pleasant surprise. What little I had heard from them, I wasn’t a big fan of. This album was quite good. The songs were low slung, well produced hipster vibe alternative tracks. Definitely worth another listen

Great!

Bueno

I don't know that Arcade Fire is ever going to reach the heights of Funeral for me, but the Suburbs does come pretty close. Bits of this record drag just a little, but that's just being nitpicky. For the most part, The Suburbs stays pretty interesting. 4.3/5

While Arcade Fire will never do anything better than Funeral, this is a very good album. This record is a course correction from the misfire that was Neon Bible. Great effort from a band than will likely never leave the shadow of their greatest work.

I have always preferred Funeral when it comes to AF records, and this one took me a while to really 'get' even though there are some really strong tracks on here. But listening to this again today and it really hit home what a great record this. I still maintain Funeral is the best record AF have done, and a contender for best debut album of all time, but this was fantastic.

4/7

I've never quite gotten the hype for Arcade Fire. On top of everybody being super pretentious about them so that doesn't really help. I loved "Reflecktor" (the song) when that first dropped. Their albums to me have some obvious highlights, but also parts (sometimes even within 1 song) that bore the hell out of me and I start to lose focus. This one I found pretty strong mostly. Stuck between high 3 or low 4. Think this one's a low 4 because I'm high so some songs are enhanced

When this album first came out I thought it was their best work, but over time I have shifted to Neon Bible being their best. This is still a classic but doesn't quite have as much staying power as I thought it would.

A good album. Dreamy in a way that's consistent with the music back then but also a bit more mainstream-rock-accessible. The synths and organ and the swirling soundscape have always made this feel a little 80's to me, but without the brutally bad reverb on everything. If you want to know what it felt like to be engaging with the world in the short time that followed the Great Recession of 2008-2009, this is it. There's hope in here but there's also a great deal of anxiety and angst. It's a good album and was influential in its own time. As a fairly modern entry in the list, it's hard to say that this is fundamentally essential listening. It may not confer a great understanding of music as it is today but it's still worth a spin. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a masterpiece, nor to say all music ought to sound something like this. It's an hour and four minutes of your life that you're likely to enjoy. 3.5/4; whatever rating I actually gave this in the end depended entirely on how I was feeling by its end.

I asked a friend to pass his Arcade Fire collection onto me in 2012, but I never bothered to listen. Fast forward to 2014 and I was at Glastonbury, on the Headline Stage, playing the first two tracks off this album. They quickly joined the rotation of my playlists. However, I never really bothered to listen beyond that. Well, today, I did. Unfortunately, I was stuck at work and had it on in the background. However, I did really enjoy what I was hearing. It didn't pull me away from what I was doing, but there was a lot I liked in it. Not a very helpful review, but I'm giving it 4 stars.

4/5. Arcade Fire is always pretty great, but this one doesn't seem to hit for me. It feels grand and epic but the songs are too similar and I can get lost within its track list, save a few bangers. I think this album could be shortened by removing maybe 4-5 songs. The theme is pretty clear after about 3 songs in and it doesn't really veer from that idea or offer anything new. The issue is that whole album is pretty catchy and accessible, which is a feat despite the length. It's not the best Arcade Fire album but it does nail the modern dad music vibe. Best Song: The Suburbs, Sprawl II, Month of May

The Suburbs is Arcade Fire's most personal and down to earth album, and also their most sonically cohesive. Even though I didn’t grow up in the suburbs myself, I could still relate to the feelings it describes of nostalgia, aimlessness and the frustration of watching your world change and you cannot control it. The album looks back on childhood and teenage years and it’s not all warm memories and sunshine. It feels more like remembering what shaped you, but also made you feel stuck and confused. If you're someone who often has these feelings, this album will hit hard. The music is simpler than on their earlier albums, but it still has a lot of variety. You can hear influence from rock, punk, shoegaze, synthpop, and even a bit of country, but nothing sounds out of place and it all comes together beautifully. The band doesn’t show off or try to impress you with big sounds all the time and instead focus on what each song really needs. Even louder songs like "Month of May" or "Empty Room" feel controlled and focused. A big part of this album is the feeling of time passing and wondering what it all meant. Songs like "Wasted Hours" and "City With No Children" talk about feeling empty or unsure as an adult, while "Modern Man" and "Suburban War" remember the past with both sadness and care. There are a lot of lyrics about driving, but not like to escape, it’s more like driving (going) around in circles, not really getting anywhere. That feeling of being lost in a familiar place is what the album does really really well. Even though the mood is often quiet or sad, the album still has some hopeful moments. The best example is "Sprawl II", where Regine sings over bright synths and gives the album a powerful ending. It’s different from most of the songs before it, but it doesn’t feel out of place, it feels like finally breaking out of the grey and seeing color again. It’s full of life and energy, even if the message is still serious. The Suburbs doesn’t grab your attention right away, but it grows on you the more you listen. It’s about feeling caught between the past and the present, and trying to understand how your memories shaped you. It’s not about running away, it’s about thinking carefully about where you came from, and what that means for who you are now. The tracklist is a bit inconsistent, the album is kind of front loaded and the middle section drags on a little, but it all comes together in the end. 4/5

The title track is one of my favorite songs in general. It makes me think about beautiful life is, but also sad about how time is passing by quickly, how we are moving “past the feeling” in the present moment, never being able to catch it completely. This is probably not what the author meant with this line, but it is what I think about every time I am listening this song.

Awesome album, love the combination of genres here. Listened to the deluxe edition and speaking in tongues is a great add on.

Grew up in the suburbs, bought this album on CD at Best Buy the week it came out, helping propel it to #1. I am the target audience for this album. Love it. It's probably too long with a couple of clunker tracks - with more editing I think it'd be a 5-star.

Beautiful and very thematic. I feel nostalgic even on my first listen.

a city with no children sounds awesome honestly

Never heard anything from this album besides suburbs 2. Which I really love. The rest of the album is great as welll and has a few other standout tracks but nothing beats the song I had already heard.

Look I don't even ride that hard for this band but this album is pretty spectacular.

Listened whilst walking through fields on a hot summer evening as a storm started to blow in. The effect was “the apocalypse is here, and we’re not too unhappy about it”. Marching band for the indie scene, always driving on. A sense of hope but sprinkled with an unsettling extra beat in the meter, or a chord progression that throws you off balance. Helped me pin down the fact that I stopped listening to new music in 2009, as I obsessed about their first two albums but didn’t recall a single song from this.

ok

Good atmospheric concept album. Wasn't impressed 1st time, grew on me the 2nd listen. 3.9

There isn’t an award that this album didn’t win but 3.5 in my mind round up to 4 cause they’re Canadian

I had heard of Arcade Fire before, but I had absolutely no idea what their sound was. This was a breath of fresh air that I was not expecting. I'm not even totally sure what "their sound" is, but I found it very rich and melodic, with a driving, pumping force and rhythm to it that made my ears happy. Four stars.

This wasn't the Arcade Fire album I expected on this list, which means I have to actually listen to it all the way through now. I've made it to Half Light I and so far I'd say there aren't any bad songs in this album. Not life-changing by any means, but still good music. In Half Light II, the singer has a bit of a Springsteen Americana sound to his voice, which I like. There are more power chords in this album than I was expecting, especially in songs like Month of May. The choppy piano changing to a bass line in We Used to Wait is cool. He sounds so melancholy about the sprawl. Maybe he shouldn't drive through there. The woman doesn't seem as upset about it, though.

Co-produced by Arcade Fire and Markus Dravs, the band concocts a big, anthematic sound on this record but also manages to sneak in some weirder sonic elements. Doesn't break a ton of new ground but the performances are convincing and the songwriting is solid.

My kind of thing, I enjoyed and would easily listen again. Heard of the band but I think they were slightly after my time?

Nace para fondo

Crazy takes here. This is a classic album

A classic of the indie era. A solid, cohesive experience, and I really love some of the songs on here. Maybe a smidge too long? But when you're vibin', you're vibin'.