Reviews (page 6 of 14)
I feel like Arcade Fire is one of those bands I should really like, and people always tell me how they are so great. I just don't get it though. They are fine and I really like the first 2 songs on this album but the rest is just fine. 3 stars
their best album maybe? maybe it's funeral
It was decent
"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.
This is what I can only assume is the final Arcade Fire album I will receive during this project, and I'm very happy about that. This wasn't the best nor the worst of what I've seen, it's pure insufferable hipster blandness.
Very good, I saved it, wants me want to listen to more Arcade Fire
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.
Didn't really do anything for me.
Ganz gemütlich, hat mich aber nicht vom Hocker gerissen
Fantastisches Album, kannte ich vorher nicht, daher super Neuentdeckung
Ließ sich gut hören. Schön, ein Flow, aber halt auch nichts Besonderes. Keine Überraschungen. Kein herausragender Track. Werd ich schnell wieder vergessen.
Gefällt mir gut, stilvoll und eingängig. Album ist aber zu lang. Die ersten drei Songs sind grandios.
Beautiful, anthemic indie that listens just as well now as it did when it was released. The Suburbs & Ready To Start hit you with a perfect 1-2 to set the tone of the album, followed by a collection of superb indie anthems. Suburban War & Wasted Hours are highlights towards the back end of the album, that sum up a fantastic album.
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.
Arcade Fire is a band i love already so i will only try to rate my favourites out of this emotional album-if not all-. We Used To Wait,the intro,the lyrics,contagious refrain,the vocals,the guitars,absolutely fantastic, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), abba vibes,the synths are out of this world,magic, The Suburbs,obviously but make sure you hear the symphonic (continued,extended) one as well, Ready To Start,the synth kills me, Month Of May is so powerful-non stop, Modern Man,genius rhythm so interesting,Police vibes, Empty Room,i mean the intro..so good!Epic and emotional, Suburban war,the twists in this,wow, Speaking In Tongues ft.David Byrne is one of the bonus and absolutely fantastic,very hypnotic. I don't usually rate deluxe versions but this one was so damn good i just couldn't resist so i highly recommend to do so as well. 5/5.Remember this one won a Grammy and a Brit award that year for a reason.
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 like, really nice, chill, idk i liked
I was already a big fan of this album. I'm a fan of Arcade Fire, well the older albums at least. The Suburbs and Ready to Start are a great 1-2 album opener.
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.
This album came out during the worst few months of my life, going through a divorce and life on my own and extremely stressful work situation - and this album and Neon Bible were there for me in a very very deep way. Even then I skipped through a lot of the sloggier songs, but Sprawl II, We Used to Wait, Ready to Start, Modern Man (and Intervention in particular from Neon Bible) were handrails in the dark.
Been a fan of this album for YEARS. The Funeral is by far my favorite of these albums, but this one is also incredible. Easy to listen to, with Win's unique voice and very interesting instrumentation. It just makes me feel some kinda way. From the first note on, I love this album.
Moments of brilliance on it but too many songs I don’t enjoy. Sprawl is absolutely class.
*sigh* This was basically the last album I truly liked by Arcade Fire. Everything since has been really subpar. I mean, there are a few songs I like but overall it's been shit from them since this album. 3.1 / 5 stars
I’m pretty sure this album would be in my personal top 20. It was probably my favourite album in 2010 when it came out (the year I finished high school in Canada where Arcade Fire were obviously massive) and since then it’s been a companion on almost every road trip I’ve taken, it’s just perfect driving music, right from that rollicking opening. It makes me feel so nostalgic and warm, and I love its sprawling nature that matches its meaningful messages. I must admit my once massive love for Arcade Fire has sadly been tainted in recent years due to the allegations against Win Butler, although I never looked into them much and I’m not going to now either because as I’ve explained before I’m taking this list at purely sonic face value (there are too many artists I couldn’t stand to listen to at all otherwise). Anyway, a big five stars from teenage/early-twenties me and a bit of a cry and a bit of a boogie. Montreal forever.
It's okay. I do like some stuff from it but it does run into the issue of just being too long without much variety.
I'm really not sure what it is about certain 2000s indie (e.g. Sufjan Stevens) that really hits for me and what it is about others that doesn't, but something about this one just refused to fully click in for me. It is solid though!
Incredible how nearly every song overstayed its welcome. Even the kinda interesting songs, I eventually just got tired of. Blah. Not for me.
I see the themes of nostalgia, of growing up in the decade they did -- and truthfully, the experiences told are human and relatable. But the music really doesn’t do a very good job of supporting it. It breaks my heart to be hating on a Montreal band, but the whole album feels bland, forgettable, and at times a little whiny. Perhaps such tortured songwriting can only come from someone who’s experienced the suburbs of Longueuil. Nevertheless, outside of Modern Man's time signature, and The Sprawl II's synthy production, not much managed to stand out to me in this hour of 2010 indie rock. Standouts: Modern Man • The Sprawl II
This album is so boring. I think it is really telling that more than half the five star reviews on here are talking moreso about nostalgia and how listening reminds them of being young than they do about the actual quality of the music. I really never met anyone who got into Arcade Fire as an adult, only people who listen to albums like this and are confused about the hype. I do admit I have a special hate for this album as it is one of those albums you are SUPPOSED to enjoy if you have good taste. I had never actually finished it before getting it for the challenge, and I knew once I struggled through it I was not giving it my usual second listen. This album is like a large bowl of unflavored oatmeal. It just keeps going and going. You may sometimes get a random piece of fruit, or a chocolate chip, but it only lasts a minute and you're back to oatmeal. How can a band with like 15 people and every instrument in the world be so boring? I have seen people compare the writing on this album to Springsteen. Springsteen was singing about people whose lives were destroyed. Laid off workers, people who lost custody of their kids, alcoholics and drug addicts, lost souls, individuals who never lived up to their potential and whose best days were behind them without even noticing. The biggest dilemma tackled on this album is "the suburbs are gross and boring and hard to escape from." Oh boo fucking hoo. "I have mixed feelings about the woman in this song.' It's not compelling or interesting. It's childish and whiny. If you are looking for over an hour of the same track repeatedly over the most self-pitying, masturbatory lyrics, punctuated by an occasional interesting idea, you should just give this a 5 now. Fuck.
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.
Track 1: Nice thumping drive. Using flourishes and details to ramp it up while keeping the muscular groove consistent. Not a big fan of the vocals except the chorus and the falsetto harmony bits. A bit anemic in the verses. Also, low in the mix, like MJK from Tool, except MJK uses his voice like an instrument on par with the rest of the band. This singer sounds histrionic. Sounds better when layered and melded with the band. Track 2: Another good thumping drive. To be honest, thought it was okay. Felt like it was missing a chorus. Like verse, pre-chorus, verse, pre-chorus. Until that bridge change-up. That was good and then made the return back to what the song was already doing more elevated. Track 3: Good song. Feels like a complete package. First song where I liked the vocal delivery the whole way through. Track 4: Another good song. And here I think I'm understanding the elements I like and those I dislike. The songs seem to be incorporating more dynamics and builds now. They can do good thumping grooves. They seem less into riffs and more into wall of sound instrumentation with flourishes. It's nice. However, I spend half the song not liking the vocalist's delivery, usually in the verses. When he plays to the song, pretty good. When he tries to stand out, it just sounds shrill and has that indy rock vocal trapping that does nothing for me. If anything, sounds like limp bombast, goat bleating without the Jello Biafra or Comus character. Track 5: I like the song musically. Was excited for a vocalist change, but don't have much of an opinion because they drowned her. They drown her under the wall of sound so much that following along with the lyrics on spotify seemed to glitch out at times and the app didn't even know what line she was on. Track 6: Boring. Seems like the epitome of the aspects of the band that don't grab me. Track 7: Meh. Pretty good strings. Seems a bit overblown. A lot of melodrama in this album. Plus, the mix isn't great. I either don't like the vocals, or am underwhelmed. And they really muddy them and keep them in the back some times. Not to keep harping, but the vocal melodies are getting really tiresome. Would love to hear an instrumental track. Track 8: Another meh. Bombast, but I'm not finding myself caring. So far lyrically, I've only connected with Modern Man and Rococo. Everything else has been so vaguely whatever. Suburban pathos or suburban horror or suburban ennui or suburban apocalypse would float my boat, but not much I find to really latch on to other than those two songs so far. This is a long album and I'm halfway through. Please, do something interesting. Make me feel something. This might be one of those times where growing up listening to heavier genres just makes other's attempts at bombast sound wafer-thin and melodramatic. Track 9: Finally. Best song so far. Lyrics that gave me a story and emotion rather than generalities. Music that had dynamics and interesting musicianship and structure. Not making a song for the sake of swelling bombast, but adding it in appropriately. Track 10: Decent track. QOTSA-like. Seems written to play live. Actually think his vocals work a lot better here. Track 11: Mostly a decent track. Sounds like a sequel or reprise of the previous track. Not too big on the moments where the instrumentation drops out and the melody changes. For some reason. Track 12: Again. Decent. More of the same. I think I'm getting bored with the sound. Feels like hanging out with an extrovert that hasn't said anything original or only a few things interesting. They are all into expression and presentation. Even their quiet moments are irritatingly performative. And I'm tired. Track 13: Ha. I'm back for this one. They keep doing that. I start to get bored and then they throw in a great track. On par with Track 9. Track 14: Pretty good. Nice and moody. Lyrics on point. It does feel like an extended intro. On to what it was setting up. Track 15: Hell yeah. Great song. Mixed well. Great epitomizing track. Like a celebratory dirge. Track 16: A coda reprise of an earlier song. Completely unnecessary. Thought the previous track was an excellent finisher. Didn't need a come-down. Actually, would have rather kept the high of the previous track as a send off. Conclusion: What a mixed bag of a record for me. Some strong moments, some strong elements, some strong tracks. But equally some frustrating elements, vocals that I found more grating than enjoyable. Not Billy Corgan (for some people) levels of turn-off. It's more the lead vocalist's melodic choices and affected style that I just can't fully vibe with. And the songs with the second vocalist are mostly drowned out, except for Track 15 - one of the best. A lot of the songs I like are despite the vocals at times. 3 great. 3 good. 6 decent. 2 meh. 2 bad. 3 out 5. Mixed bag leaning toward good. I know a lot of the aspects that don't vibe with me do vibe with others.
One of my favorites.
hm i think the fact we just had a mediocre arcade fire album didn't help my mindset going in but once again, i just felt disinterested and bored. 2/5
day 16: too soon for another arcade fire album eeee. first song is on another level and second song follows suit. the rest passes along fine. some very averagely boring stuff draws this out (do not need to have 16 songs). there is for sure a better 10 song album in here somewhere. it’s no funeral but it’s better than neon bible.
Never listened to these guys cause I didn't think I'd like it. Wrong! Great music.
Pretty nice, didn't really stick out to me too much
Bonne petite musique de fond.
Great album! Shame about Win Butler
I enjoyed it, maybe a bit long but it was neat how everything felt connected
Eh.
Much like living in the suburbs, when you're listening to The Suburbs it takes you an hour to get anywhere
Starts off pretty solid and then proceeds to be a jumble of uninspiring music. I could think of way too many songs that are better alternatives to every track on this album, and I still have no idea why its praised so highly.
what once made me feel cool in high school now sounds boring on revistit :p
crazy how half of this album made me feel absolutely nothing and then the other half was pretty interesting. Could have been a solid 40 minute album, but instead it was hard to get through for me
a few things: 1. i bought this album on release day on vinyl when i was 13 2. i am very interested in the idea of art about the suburbs as a concept and i think there is even good indie rock music about it (real estate) but this shit fucking sucks and doesnt capture the lazy, time stretch feeling of suburbia at all to me 3. has this paper thin veneer of artiness that is incredibly irritating 4. there are, admittedly, a few tunes on here that are pretty undeniable 5. it is almost completely devoid of emotion, sprawl I very nearly expresses SOMETHING but most of the songs are just nothing 6. cant stop thinking about the fact that the guy is a creep which shouldnt impact the music but for me it does Fav song: Sprawl II
Ei nyt vakuuta eikä hetkauta
Great from start to finish, no bad song in there really and super iconic of that time, spending hot summers reading comic books and dreaming about "the sprawl"
In my book a weaker album than their Funeral, but it had some good moments, like the opening song The Suburbs, or Rococo. It will forever remain in my memory as the album recommended to me by my teacher, who I held in high esteem.
***An ok album, easy listening
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
Superb 👌🏻
Their best album. The Dublin gig on this tour solidly in my top 20, a band at their peak. Modern Man and Month Of May two personal favourites, but it's a near perfect album.
This loses a full star because Butler was a creep.
Perfection
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.
Slightly preferred neon bible. 3.
didn’t finish this, all the songs sounded the same
ovo me baš razočaralo nakon što mi se njihov debi dost svidio. premda ima ok stvari (npr. prva stvar), ima jednostavno previše bezveznih pjesama; predzadnja mi je baš bila sranje. usto je dosta koldplejasto? nije mi drago što dajem dva, ali stvarno sam očekivao puno bolje...
Some songs do just pop off like crazy but many do kind of end up a wash
2/10. Para mi gusto, un coñazo terrible.
Only one good song lmao.
I don't mind this, it fits the vibe of the time it was released. I think unless you're a die hard Arcade Fire fan, the songs are a little meaningless but I might listen to this again. It has some good songs, I think others really down grade it but I quite enjoy it. I think Arcade could have played a small part in influencing bands like The Lumineers, Of Monster and Men, those type of bands. They've got a genre and live by it. Also it's a bit of a long album. It's got no bangers so does get boring about half way through.
Good album I can dig these guys
Good
nice 3.5
great
No me ha llamado la atención.
Okay. I didn't really enjoy it all that much, but it may just need a different time in life for me.
Yeah it's alright
This album really captures the inherent angst and unease of the modern Western city. "Sprawl II" is the song that introduced me to Arcade Fire and is probably still my favorite track on the album - but listening through the whole album in order for the first time, "The Suburbs" and "Ready to Start" strike me as equally strong examples of the album's thesis in addition to fitting into the structure just a bit more organically. And I don't idly invoke an element of a college writing assignment here, this album is structured like a typical essay with an introduction, a body containing the bulk of its arguments, and an engaging conclusion. The main difference, of course, is that this album is a much more enjoyable listen than anything I wrote in ENG 201.
*more of a 2,5 stars rating tbh*
...meh. And i say this as a regular indie rock/pop listener. The female vocal additions were nice
A pleasant listen. A dance album but not boring thump, thump. While each song picks a beat and doesn't deviate, it's never boring thanks to the variety of textures. Synth arrangements never overpower the acoustic instrumentation. Thoughtful overarching lyrical themes and musical seques between several songs make this an enjoyable, although dystopian, concept album. Favorite song(s): Sprawl 1 and Sprawl 2 Rating: 3/5
Good alternative band. Some good songs. Original music. enjoyable to listen to.
Too pop and boring. I liked only "Sprawl II".
From good to trivial lyrics on boring voices and sounds. The genre should be called trivial rock. Everything sounded familiar to me. I was simply bored, didn’t listen to the end of the album. Nothing took me in. Live would be ok so I gave it a 2 - an easy dance to free the head.
Thats wasnt mine
I had to give this album multiple tries just to get through it all. Even the songs that “rock” are boring. I do respect the musicianship, and I respect the concept and scope, but this album did very little for me.
Tons of good songs. I dig it
Not my fav by AF, but it is still overall a banger
I’ve listened to a few Arcade Fire albums by now that didn’t do anything for me at all. But this one was different. I kinda dug a lot about it.
Woah this slaps actually nice
Not a single bad song on this album, big fan of 2 part songs that build up the 2nd part to be a better song, and songs that transition from the end of one to the beginning of the next because it makes it feel more like an album.
I have listened to this whole album a thousand times. I love it. Every song is fire. Fave: Sprawl II Honorable mentions: The Suburbs, Deep Blue, Suburban War
pretty damn good
eh, kinda soured on this one over the years, never really go back to it. not as fun as funeral, or as weird as neon bible, and the hits aren’t as good as reflektor
Nepobaby yuppie skater music
Ready to Start, The Suburbs
It's their pop hit album? Never really got super in to them, so their albums are flawed beyond their debut, which is truly an amazing album from start to finish.
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.
Listenable, but nothing amazing. "Month Of May" is a good track. Mostly the same kind of beat and sound, non variable.
Ascoltato di là
Loved this but not as much as their debut. Starts strong, i need to spend more time on the back end
After the first two songs, I was thinking my review would be simply, "I don't hate it. It's not great, but not terrible. I'm thinking 3 stars so far." And then the song "Modern Man" made me so irrationally angry I was about to toss my phone. It was on a very short leash after that. Anyway, it's not good. I think it's more a two, but I'm dropping it on principal that I should never feel angry about a song that was not intended to illicit that feeling.
It's nothing. Just bland music. Plain plodding beat. Simple melodies. Thin arrangements. Rinse. Repeat. I can't even say that I hate it, which might be the most notable feature about this slop.
Not as high on this as I thought I'd be. Definitely enjoyed the hits when they came out, but feels a bit hollow this time through. Beautiful exterior, some great melodies, great production etc. but not really conjuring much. Will have to go back and read the review to see what the hype was about. I think in 2010 we were searching for a great rock album. My Dad chooses random bands to loathe, which is usually funny because hes a very kind man. HATES Arcade Fire - something about the number of people in the band. Florence and the Machine makes him physically ill. I don't have that ire, but not going out of my way to listen to AF either.
There is something self-serious and affected about AF, like they’re aiming for your approval while also acting superior to you. Above it all. Some of these songs are pleasant enough, modern man and half light 2, are kind of cool. But I just get this hollow feeling listening to them. It’s cool without being fun.
I find myself somewhere in the middle with these guys. The sound scapes are unique and cool, but Butlers voice occasionally annoys me The first two tracks (The Suburbs, Ready To Start) are fantastic. Month of May is a worthy cut as well but, it doesnt seem like it fits the concept here. No true duds on here, but some really odd stuff I dont get - Rococo for example. Rounding up to 3. More like a 2.5 for me though
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.
O álbum não é ruim. Só não é algo que me prende. Celest Phoenixcall.
I really did not care that I was listening to it. Canadian national treasure?
Arcade fire always feels a bit vague to me. Some of that is just stylistic. The lyrics are great but often obscured by heavy reverb and layering for an ambiance that can force the ear to search the mix laboriously. It can get a bit samey. That said, I still enjoyed it and found myself reading through lyrics on a few songs.
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.
Favorite tracks: Month of May, Ready to Start, Modern Man I would enjoy hearing this as background music in a coffee shop, but otherwise it really didn't do anything for me. It's fine listening, but I can't imagine why it's in this collection.
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.
First time listening to Arcade Fire and was surprised by the sound. But not my style.
4.5 really. I feel bad giving it a 4, but it wasn't quite a 5.
This was so good, I can't wait to listen to it again! I know it'll become even better to me with more listens.
Amazing well crafted diverse group of songs. The strings, piano, and keys really add to how big everything sounds. Having a male and female vocalist that take turns on lead vocals really adds to the diversity of the sounds that the band can get. This album has a well deserved spot on this list for sure.
Surprised I didn’t like this one as much as I thought I would as a longtime Gorillas fan time 2000s indie rock fan. Hadn’t gotten around to listening to arcade fire. Makes nice background music, but didn’t seem to have any tracks that stuck out or stuck with me.
Classic.
I know this was HUGE so I really thought I would have heard at least one track before--but no! And I LOVED it. Some rock-ish tunes, Ready to Start and Month of May among them. (And Ready to Start opens with "Businessmen drink my blood." METAL.) Rococo is delightfully staccato and weird sounding. Mostly it's a dreamy lush feel, kind of a cousin of The National but more jangly. I wanna listen to it again lying on the couch with my eyes closed. Maybe a little stoned.
My favourite of their albums. A very easy listen with some great songs Shame the lead singer is a wrong un
Generic Indy
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.
Best album yet great for car drives
I generally don't like Arcade Fire's music but I found a few songs that I genuinely enjoyed. Mostly big standard indie rock with a few above average moments sprinkled in. Favorite track: Suburban War
A simply good album. Went quadruple platinum on tumblr back in the day LOL
This is a pretty mid album, sorry all you that love them, just not my thing fully.
totally enjoyable while i was listening to it and then i went downstairs for a drink of water and came back and had absolutely no recollection of anything i had listened to.
omg ngl this started off strong and was like that perfect cozy alternative music you need to listen while fixing your tea and looking out the window while it's gloomy but then it got a lil too white around the middle and i almost tapped out then got cute again LMAO
I'm writing this intro before starting the album - I could name several albums by Arcade Fire but have, to my knowledge, ever heard a single note of a single song by the band. Surprising as they came up in a time when I was making my own music with people who were huge fans. For whatever reason - the way people spoke and wrote about them, the state of rock music at the time - I assumed they were some posey hipster shite and avoided them. Now that I have listened to this album, there are definitely things I didn't care for and actively disliked. There are some of the more twee moments of Noughties rock which shoves it into the hipster sphere and away from the sense of rebellion and individuality that the genre thrives on, but I was mostly pleasantly surprised that I didn't hate the thing. The caveat with this review, and all my of first time listens, is that I've only listened to the thing once. As we all know, impressions of music change with re-listens and with time. It's rare for me that an album is an immediate love. I don't get the impression that I'll ever love this, but there are definitely a few songs I'll add to my car playlist, and that will lead to a deeper dive into the lyrics and my own feelings on those songs. All in all, I don't know if this is a three or a four star. It could go up or down in my estimation with more listens. I get the sense that this is one of those point in time albums - you had to be there, immersed in the sound and have it accompanying your journey at that time. Naturally you could say that about any album, but I don't think this is distinct enough that it'll transcend time and generations like the best albums do.
This album is 63 minutes too long. When I think of all the worst parts of the 2010s this is the soundtrack.
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.
I'm sorry but I just really don't care about arcade fire. This was fine background music to have on when I work but I don't get much out of their music.
Good indie music
This album is like 5 tracks too long which I guess is the urban sprawl in album form. Pretty much every song has this driving monotony, and then if it doesn’t seem anthemic enough theres always an almost artificial buildup at the end. Which is not to say I didn’t like these songs, the album just made me feel a bit cynical at times, which again, is kinda the point? Also it definitely builds up an atmosphere that is undeniable, but also causes the songs to all feel the same at the point. I have a lot of thoughts on this one, so I think I’m gonna plump for 3 stars, I definitely think a tighter album with less filler couldve been easily 4 stars, but the album as presented is 3 stars, on the cusp of 2.
This album is like a slug, aimlessly crawling along. I thought 2 hours of Smashing Pumpkins (Melon Collie…) was a bit much, but one hour of Arcade Fire feels much longer. Thought it would never end. A couple of times it livens up and it feels like something’s finally happening, but it just goes back to slug mode again. Zzzz… 1/5
Didn't find it that interesting.
Solid. U2 milennialsanna. Mjög flott soundscape og góður fílingur í þessu hjá krökkunum. Ein af plötum þessa tímabils. Algjört 2010.
Þetta er frábær plata hvað sem öllu metoo líður. Besta lag Sprawl II.
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.
Very good, but not quite as good as Neon Bible in my opinion. 1/5
Tedious
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.
#3 - 15.09.25
starkes album 4 sterne
In my mind, Arcade Fire is lumped with Muse, and that's not really a good thing. I find the songs that got played on the radio, cloying, busy and noisy. The singer's voice doesn't really speak to me. Was surprised by the album, which also gets a bit more rocky/grungy and that stuff worked better for me. Still, not something I'll come back to soon I'm afraid.
Not interested
Not very interesting. I don’t specifically dislike it. And I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that makes me unsure of this album. It’s just nothing special to me. It’s something I could dance to if it was playing at a party, for sure. But it’s not something I consider to be of any significance in the world. It’s like filler music. It just exists for the sake of existing. I don’t know why it has been put on this list. It’s honestly exactly what I expected from a 2010 indie rock album with a cover like that. And I must say, the name of the album is very suiting. The songs are quite suburban. Anyway, I knew before listening to this album that 2010’s indie isn’t for me. After listening to this album, I’ve realised I just don’t think male vocals suit it. I don’t know what it is but to me, a woman’s voice fits indie way better. I can’t explain it. It just does. If this whole album was sung by the woman, I would have liked it a lot more. Favourite track was definitely Sprawl || (Mountains Beyond Mountains). Overall, I thought this album had nice instrumentals and I definitely liked the female vocals a lot. Like I said, definitely something I could dance to. Otherwise it was pretty uninteresting.
'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.
Wasn’t a fan of arcade fire still not it’s an ok album listenable.
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
This was ok. Nothing super special to me.
Perfectly fine.
Some good moments, will have to listen again.
Good stuff.
Pick the influence: Beatles or Queen or Bowie or Talking Heads or Tears for Fears, etc
Grammy winning album. Is good. Indie rock. Mostly meh for me. Pitchfork: 8.6 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs The Suburbs Ready to Start Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
The album starts strong but I don't care too much about the second half. I like Funeral much more than this. 5/10
It's a nice concept album, although it's a bit bland at times. The first half was definitely the best for me, it starts strong with "The Suburbs", and I also liked "Ready To Start" too. As it progresses it gets diluted a bit, but it's a nice listen anyways. I saw them perform this album live, and in that case, it's a 5 star. Their live performance is so raw and powerful and energetic it gives the album and songs a new meaning, they're also absolutely amazing live. This rating goes to the album version only.
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.
This was boring. Nothing really stood out to me.
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.
Honestly, I feel the exact same way about this album as I did the Funeral. It's a perfectly good indie rock record, it just doesn't really do anything for me personally.
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.
Actually loved this. Especially the run with Rococo and the ones after. It's very nostalgic, jangly, danceable and earnest. 3.5 though, it was a little too long.
the best way I can describe this is "click track music" sprawl II was good
Talk about snooze fest. This was so boring and safe. It’s just mindless pop rock with no direction or soul. This album reminded me a lot of bands like U2. Which is like one of the worst things I can say about a band. Totally put me to sleep, nothing interesting, save your time and skip this one. Chances are if you have listened to the radio or heard music playing in public, you have probably heard this big hit off this album and I’m sorry you had to suffer through that. I also feel traumatized from how mediocre this album is.
Starts and ends strongly but there's some weak songs in the middle. 3 stars with a couple of songs i really like.
Much better than i remembered. Its no funeral but decent !
Not too bad, many songs had the same sound. Modern Man and Month of May were my favorites.
I am afraid with all the accolades this band has I have no clue who they are. I really did not think they had some unique sound and it really was just back ground noise that when I did catch myself listening, it was kind of boring to me.
This album was okay tbh. Sounded like a lot of alternative that was going on at that time. Kinda like Neon Trees, Phoenix type deals. Don’t get me wrong, Arcade Fire is great! Wake Up is a smash! But wake up isn’t on this album lol.
Fun album but it all kind of sounded alike, and no clear winner with a song
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.
Sellaista radioheadia köyhän miehen otteella.
This is my favourite album of all time, but mostly because of my personal connection with it, I can sort of understand people not liking, I've just had these songs so engrained into my brain that I can't see them any other way. But the songs are INCREDIBLE, and never really get boring (within reason as I don't listen to this that much). I think the instrumentation is really interesting, very simple generally, but there are some bolder elements, like strange string sounds, like in Rococo, or empty room, and also the synth bits, which are often done quite subtly as basslines or lead lines which sometimes sound like they could be guitars. Also the male/female singer harmonies/vocal sharing is incredible, some of the best songs on here are predominantly sung by the lady (empty room/sprawl II). I also think there is somewhat of a concept to this, but relatively loosely, seems like the singer(s) are talking partially biographically, or at least making it seem that way, like they are talking about their childhoods and coming of age. Also quite a lot of them seem to be biographical about like growing distant from old childhood friends, which kinda links to that. Overall I guess its quite rooted to me personally, so its hard to disattach these songs from my life (cringe). Favourite songs: all, but overall its always been Month of May - quite weird as its kind of the odd one out song on here. Overall around 10/10
I don’t know how but I had never heard of this album or band… it was so good though and now I’m a big fan
- 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
I am not the audience for this band. It does not speak to me at all.
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.
I like Funeral a lot. This is not Funeral. It's inoffensive and tends to boring. You can put it on and completely forget that you're listening to something.
I was younger when Arcade Fire hit the scene so this album is not super nostalgic to me like it is for so many people. This is the first of Arcade Fire album I’ve ever played all the way through. It grew on me more in the final third, but Sprawl II was the only song that really struck me. I like the baroque influence and see how they were influential themselves to bands that came more around my childhood. But like, that includes Imagine Dragons lol. The Suburbs evokes dread, darkness, and nostalgia but without the synthy brightness of Sprawl II carried through the whole album it feels compressed and kinda unoriginal to me. Just not my thing. Sprawl II earns the entire star.
Grew on me the more I played it, but its way too long. The middle segment turns into one long drone before Régine takes over the vocals and saves us with the most energetic, dynamic and unique track on the album. After a couple of listens I put on arcade fire radio and loved everything I heard, so their influence is obvious, perhaps I just don't like Win's nasal whine.
No way am I listening to this band again. Fuck Win Butler. Zero stars.
Solid early 2000's dreamy rock.
Yep, good album.
This album is very near and dear to me. Not only was I super obsessed with it six years ago and fascinated with its Grammy triumph, but this album's theme quite literally hits close to home. Win and Will Butler both grew up in The Woodlands, a suburb of Houston, TX. I also grew up near Houston, not really in the suburbs, but you get what I mean. This album is a collection of tunes that yearn for nostalgia and a time where days felt pure rather than washed with fear. They're honestly crafted numbers that shout proudly again and again. They're anthems for the youth; fireworks that strike a chord in my heart. There's life in these songs and I like to think that they gave me hope as a young and socially challenged Texas boy. Oh, how have the times passed since then (9/10, 5/5 on this scale)
Nope
Solid all the way through
Quintessential 2010s indie, a bit darker at times than their earlier albums but still very much emblematic of their style. Gets an extra point for nostalgia.
Almost aggressively "fine". It all sort of blended into the same thing. The only one that half caught my attention was Suburban War. None of it was offensive or bad, it was just largely wishy-washy noughties indie.
Good record from the alternative era of my college age/post college age
la hostia
OK SAME SAME 3.5
I don’t know who I thought this band was, but this first track is not what I was expecting. I don’t know why but I was expecting aggressive music. This is a great mellow album.
This is entirely based on nostalgia.
Not bad, wouldn't want to listen to it again
I have once again listened to Arcade Fire and they really just don't do much for me.
Enjoyed this album a lot when it first came out. It is not quite the calibre of the first 2 albums, but it is very close. Suburbs into Ready to Start is still fantastic. I cannot understand the comments that this album is boring, it is anything but that. The structure and the subject is complex and carefully arranged, and one of those albums that listens like reading a book. This is few and far between these days. the album is filled with notable songs and that pop up regularly throughout the album. In many cases one after each other. I would still like to own a copy. 5 stars. side Note: Win Butler is still a creep, and i stopped supporting them after all that came out. The fact that the albums after everything Now were pretty dull made the decision easier though.
Boring
I own the vinyl of this one. Almost a perfect album, 3/4 sides are A+.
little long but good
Listened to this many times without a very critical ear but on examination it’s a super prescient depiction of societal decay and alienation. Also super interesting sonically
Haven't listened to Arcade Fire much but this is a solid album
Good solid album. Annoyed me when it first came out, Arcade fire in general does.
This album's production and ambition outpaced its songwriting. There's rarely a memorable moment on this heady journey through the 'burbs. I don't see myself choosing to drive this way again any time soon. Standout track: Ready to Start
Stone cold classic
I can see driving around in the 2010s as an indie kid/young adult, listening to this on repeat thinking that it's totally about me. It doesn't sound like The Who, but it has that sort of Quadrophenia "no one gets me" romanticism. I would say it's too long but I guess it's a double album. Good stuff. Not great stuff. I wish there was a 3.5
Making music this dull and boring takes a rare kind of talent. It’s the musical equivalent of boiled chicken... bland, textureless, and leaving you wondering why anyone thought this was worth serving. You keep waiting for some spice, some flavor, anything… but nope, just more lifeless mush on repeat.
I don’t understand the hype around Arcade Fire, especially this record.
The last great Arcade Fire album? Sprawl II is great.
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.
101/1001. 2nd AF album in a week? And as boring AF again. Come on, they play basic melodies with basic chords and chord progressions and then overlay some production values and orchestrations bought with a lot of $$$ and go out and have a no 1 in three countries on the week the album comes out. And that I guess defines indie rock nowadays.
Very good album.
Okish, but altogether underwhelming effort. 2.5/5
2/5 todella geneeristä rokkia
I wouldn’t listen to this regularly but this is definitely a great album
This album is easily in my top 10 albums of all time. Such an incredible work of art.
Nothing special
Дуже прикро що АФ мало того що осоромились з кенселінгом, так ще й відверто втратили хист до музики, бо слухати їхні останні альбоми неможливо. А от Suburbs я обожнюю. Наживо це теж було прекрасно, майже до сліз.
Album was just ok. Not really my genre of music
3/5
Это ну ООООООООООООООЧЕНЬ хороший и крутой инди альбом!!! Это просто вау!
#DÍA 31: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) Otro día más cumpliendo, en este caso el tercer álbum de estudio de Arcade Fire. Ya he escuchado y disfrutado de su debut Funeral, un LP de Indie Rock bastante emotivo e intenso, aunque algo inconsistente a mi parecer. En esta pieza de 66 minutos la banda se embarcó en un proyecto bastante ambicioso, centrándose en una temática central: el paso del tiempo. Rebajan en general bastante la epicidad de su primer álbum, aunque quizá para entender mejor esta decisión debería escuchar su segundo disco. Primeramente, el entrante es una canción bastante dulce que en presenta la temática y el motivo central, los suburbios, algo que interpreto como una representación de aquel lugar en el que uno pasa su infancia —aunque concretamente se centra en lo que es crecer dentro suburbios—. La canción es bastante emotiva, tiene una suavidad que evoca bastante nostalgia. En cuanto a la voz de Win Butler, es realmente melancólica, pero no termina encajando conmigo en prácticamente el resto del LP. Tiene un estilo expresivo sin duda, quizá algo melodramático, pero nunca llega a ser demasiado explosivo o atrevido como siento que sí es en Funeral. Esto sobre todo hace sangrar al álbum en temas como Modern Man, en la que no paran de haber crescendos que nunca llegan a un clímax realmente satisfactorio. Por ello creo que disfruto más del álbum cuando es Régine Chassagne quien canta, por ejemplo, me gusta mucho su estilo fantasmagórico en Empty Room, encaja a la perfección con el bajo tan predominante y la ventisca de cuerdas que rodea la canción. En general el álbum no me llega mucho musicalmente, pese a que las letras en su mayoría sean bastante evocadoras, explorando muchos tópicos relativos al paso del tiempo y usando inteligentes simbolismos. Rococo es una divertida sátira acerca de la superficialidad de las generaciones modernas, titulada de forma ingeniosa como una espada de doble filo: la ignorancia de usar términos cultos para sonar interesante, y hacer paralelismo con una época histórica realmente superficial. Por otro lado, tanto Deep Blue como We Used To Wait han envejecido como el vino, pues su enfoque en el auge de la tecnología y de lo instantáneo no puede ser cada vez más relevante. Finalmente las tres últimas pistas cierran de forma preciosa el LP, musicalmente son bastante potentes y llevan el concepto a una conclusión interesante. Sprawl I vuelve a traer el asunto de los suburbios, aquí Win hace una interpretación más teatral que pienso que encaja genial para acercarnos al final. Luego Sprawl II es una brillante canción de synthpop que contrasta con la oscuridad del otro tema central del disco, Half Light II, aunque pienso que ésta segunda es mucho menos emocionante y tiene una mezcla algo caótica que llega a saturar. Por último, el álbum cierra con una pequeña vuelta al primer tema, confesando que si pudiesen volver a los tiempos de su infancia, volverían a malgastar el tiempo, porque no hay nada mejor que poder vivir sin preocupaciones. The Suburbs tiene una temática emotiva y muy bien traída, pero pienso que deja mucho que desear a nivel instrumental y creativo, la mayoría de canciones son algo aburridas y pecan de tener un sonido excesivamente suave. Canciones como City With No Children o Suburbian Wars parecen tener poca ambición musical, resultan demasiado inofensivas. La percusión tiende a flojear en cuanto a golpe e intensidad, por lo que un tema como Month of May que intenta tener un ritmo más puramente de Rock termina aburriendo. Y es una pena, porque pistas como Wasted Hours pierden su potencial debido a una producción y composiciones que no son nada llamativas, pese a tener un mensaje expresado de un modo bello y con el que es fácil empatizar. En fin, me extiendo bastante porque en general veo muchos puntos positivos en este álbum, pero los veo malgastados por una pobre ambición sónica y estética. Aún así probaré a escucharlo un poco más, es posible que le coja el gusto procesándolo, que es bastante largo. Favoritas: The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Rococo, Deep Blue, We Used To Wait, Sprawl I, Sprawl II, The Suburbs (Continued) Menos favorita: City With No Children #DAY 31: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Another day completed, this time with Arcade Fire’s third studio album. I’ve already listened to and enjoyed their debut, Funeral, a pretty emotional and intense Indie Rock LP, though a bit inconsistent in my opinion. In this 66-minute piece, the band embarked on quite an ambitious project, focusing on a central theme: the passage of time. They generally tone down the epic quality of their debut, though maybe I should listen to their second record to better understand this decision. Firstly, the opener is a rather sweet track that introduces the theme and central motif: the suburbs. I interpret this as a representation of the place where one spends their childhood—though specifically it focuses on growing up in the suburbs. The song is quite moving, with a softness that evokes nostalgia. As for Win Butler’s voice, it’s genuinely melancholic, but it doesn’t quite work for me through most of the LP. He has an expressive style, no doubt, maybe a bit melodramatic, but it never feels explosive or daring in the way I think it does on Funeral. This especially hurts the album on tracks like Modern Man, which is full of crescendos that never reach a truly satisfying climax. For that reason, I think I enjoy the album more when it’s Régine Chassagne singing—for example, I really like her ghostly style on Empty Room, which fits perfectly with the prominent bassline and the storm of strings surrounding the track. Overall, the album doesn’t connect with me much musically, even though the lyrics are mostly evocative, exploring many topics related to the passage of time and using clever symbolism. Rococo is a fun satire on the superficiality of modern generations, cleverly titled as a double-edged sword: the ignorance of using lofty terms to sound interesting, while also paralleling a truly superficial historical era. On the other hand, both Deep Blue and We Used to Wait have aged like fine wine, as their focus on the rise of technology and instant gratification only becomes more and more relevant. Finally, the last three tracks beautifully close the LP, musically powerful and bringing the concept to an interesting conclusion. Sprawl I returns to the subject of the suburbs, and here Win delivers a more theatrical performance that I think works really well as we near the ending. Then, Sprawl II is a sparkling synthpop song that contrasts with the darkness of the other central theme, Half Light II, though I find the latter much less exciting, with a somewhat chaotic mix that becomes overwhelming. Lastly, the album closes by circling back to the first track, confessing that if they could return to their childhood, they’d still waste their time—because there’s nothing better than being able to live without worries. The Suburbs has an emotional and well-developed theme, but I think it leaves a lot to be desired instrumentally and creatively. Most of the songs are somewhat dull and suffer from being excessively soft in sound. Tracks like City With No Children or Suburban War seem to lack musical ambition and feel too harmless. The percussion tends to fall short in punch and intensity, so a track like Month of May, which tries to carry a more straightforward Rock rhythm, ends up being boring. And it’s a shame, because songs like Wasted Hours lose their potential due to production and compositions that aren’t particularly striking, even though the message is beautifully expressed and easy to empathize with. In short, I went on at length because I do see many positive aspects in this album, but I feel they’re wasted on poor sonic and aesthetic ambition. Still, I’ll try listening to it a bit more—it’s possible I’ll grow to appreciate it with more time, since it’s quite a long record. Favorites: The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Rococo, Deep Blue, We Used to Wait, Sprawl I, Sprawl II, The Suburbs (Continued) Least favorite: City With No Children
Good, but a bit too long.
Jag kan inte lyssna på det här!
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
I have loved everything they put put. Learned that Peter Gabriel was a fan. Learned that Bowie was a fan. How can you go wrong. Eclectic and beautiful.
I think there is more to this than what I could glean on a first listen, but nothing about it made me want to go back for the second listen.
Dont mind it. Little boring for my taste
Their third album, and the first one that doesn't fully click with me. Not without moments of greatness.
How can something so punchy be so boring?? The instrumentals and punch behind the guitar/drums in each song is so strong, but the lyrics just completely get lost in the music for me, making it hard to come away with anything other than "meh". It somehow gets worse as the album goes on, from being a half-decent listen, but then once I actually start hearing the lyrics to some of the songs, they just aren't good. I'm really not sure what is being attempted on this album. I have no nostalgia for this era of Indie rock, so its honestly pretty boring and not something I would re-visit. 2.5/5 As I continued, it kept getting worse. 2/5.
Very uninspiring. Not much to excited about.
Woof. Why do I absolutely need to listen to this album, again? First, listen to the first two songs - there, now you've heard the entire Arcade Fire catalogue. It really all sounds the same. Zero influence, a minor hit, and I find it super boring.
This album is just average. I did enjoy some of the songs on "The Suburbs". Those tracks are preventing it from a 2-star rating. None of the songs are on the same level as the album I listened to yesterday There are better bands than Arcade Fire out there. 3 stars for "The Suburbs".
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.
Not into them but fine album from beginning to end
Really nice but a bit samey
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.
I liked it. Some of the fist songs reminded me of tame impala, and two songs reminded me of coldplay, it was good.
Must have, awesome record
It’s good, but there’s too much of it.
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.
I loved this album in the early '10s, and I still love it
Songs feel repetitive and like they should have been a minute shorter
I liked this album. I've never listened to arcade fire before, but I really enjoyed it. Will have to go back to it again to re evaluate soon
A few familiar and catchy hooks. Atmospheric, fairly enjoyable but nothing to write home about. Tried to listen to it twice but was doing other things and kinda just washed into the background, which maybe sums it up pretty well. Would probably listen again and enjoyable enough, just nothing earth shattering. (3.5)
Bit dull and dreary. Overblown and not in a way that appeals to me.
6.4/10. Some good songs there but really not my thing
Unappealing and blant. DNF
Good and a bit relatable.But a lot of the songs sound really similar if not like almost the same.
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
Was gonna give this a 4 but reconsidered
Great album. The first four songs are real bangers. The whole album is a good listen and has plenty to offer at 16 tracks. The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Modern Man, Rococo, City With No Children, Suburban War, Month of May, Wasted Hours, We Used to Wait are my favorites.
one song sounded like m83, so i listened to m83.
Top songs: Rococo
Good
Long album about missing your youth and anxiety over the state of the world in comparison to the nest you left. No super standout tunes for me, but it was a cohesive album.
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.
First off - I don't think this album is going to age well. Second - I don't think Arcade Fire as a band aged well. That being said, I think they made this album at the top of their game. All of the elements just come together. Thematically, this hit me hard when it came out, and listening to it again today, it still does. This is probably going to appeal most to Gen X and Millennials as we've watched the decay of tangible things in our life. A few standouts: Regine Chassagne in "Sprawl II" is fantastic. Also, the title track has stuck with me unprompted over the years, and continues to be the soundtrack in my head whenever I'm driving the kids to school or running errands.
Maybe not the best Arcade Fire album "objectively" speaking (if that's even possible with music), but my favourite of theirs. I was listening to this a lot when it came out, and was going through a very rough time in my life, so a lot of the songs have taken on very personal meanings for me. There's a slight lull in the middle of it, and its maybe a bit too long, but other than that I think it's close to perfect. I think the themes of lost childhood and coming of age in a dangerous world are probably even more relevant today as well.
Loved it
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.
Boring af 1/5
Det är flera låtar som är bra men ibland blir det kanske lite för mycket INDIE JAG ÄR INTE SOM ALLA ANDRA 😜
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
didn’t like this at all. If an album can sound pretentious, this is it
Great!
Fairly generic sounding. I can see the appeal to people, but this just wasn't that interesting. Not entirely boring, just nothing standout. 2.5/5
I own exactly one Arcade Fire album, their debut, and while I liked a couple of the songs it never really grabbed me and I didn't investigate further. Several of my friends with similar tastes in music to mine have raved about this band and expressed shock that I didn't also love them. So let's see how the third album sounds... ... turns out to be very similar to the first one, unsurprisingly. I liked "Rococo." As with their first album, I don't DISlike this. I just don't like it enough to want to listen to it again or explore their catalog further.
Amo Arcade Fire, uno de mis discos favoritos
One of my favorite albums of all time
Fine
Rock índie hermoso, ame cada canción y con temas importantes de los cuales hablar.
Very nice album, I just prefer funeral a lot to this one
Bueno
Overall good album. Haven’t listened to it in a few years.
This did nothing for me.
Boy that first song just kept on going