The Suburbs

A bit all over the place, some songs were decent, but others felt like I'd taken too big of a bite and my mouth was too full. I'd rate it a 6.5/10 but there's no way to rate it even half stars.

Not super familiar with this and as such, so not a huge amocunt of nostalgia to rely on for vibing through it, but it did a good job on its own! The first track is an entry drug, that's for sure, with is rolling piano, lazy drums and sweeping vocals. You're then taken on a wild journey through powerhouse orchestral tracks such as 'Empty Room' and back. By the time 'Wasted Hours' arrives, you're glad to resolve on the now familiar, sundrenched, relaxed, porch-sitting groove. # Respect for when an album feels like a complete work, rather than a collection of individual songs. 3 stars.

More to love here than I remembered, for sure, but boy does this thing ... ahem ... sprawl. Those strings on Empty Room, yes please; the rhythmic tension at the opening of We Used to Wait, absolutely; all of Sprawl II, of course. But the endless midtempo yawnfests on the My First Anticapitalist theme - not so much. A three for the moments Win shuts up about the kids and lets everyone else take over.

not really my music genre but there are some catchy lyrics und good instrumentals

Just about the most 3 you'll ever get

Ready to start vond ik het leukst, de rest duurde me net iets te lang en leken ze teveel op elkaar

Creo que me gustó más Neon Bible, pero la verdad es que este álbum tiene unos temazos. Realmente Arcade Fire es uno de los grandes descubrimientos personales de esta lista.

I dunno, fine? Not bad?

Ready to start

I love the suburbs, but the rest of the album doesn't hit quite as hard. Still an enjoyable listen.

- More SA and predatory behaviour for this list. I used to love Arcade Fire, but yet another on the boycott list for me! - This album was never my favourite, though - it's good, and there are a lot of great songs on it, but I don't like it as much as the previous ones. After this album, they did that pretentiously long one, and this one felt like it was heading there (it's definitely too long). I just read that the special anniversary version contains "an 80-page booklet"... <rolls eyes>. - To me, this album feels like it's trying to recreate the magic of the debut album, but it doesn't quite reach those heights. - It starts out really promising -- the first two songs are really good. I just find that there's a lot of filler (e.g., Modern Man, Rococo, Empty Room, though I like the fluttering strings and how it sweeps... etc). There are a lot of songs I really like, though - City With No Children, Half Light II, Suburban War, Wasted Hours, We Used to Wait. The other songs are fine, but I just never seek them out or am excited to hear them on the album. - Also, I've never really been that into the woman singer's (really thin) voice, and I think she's featured more than I like on this album, but I enjoy it when she's harmonizing (e.g., Half Light II). - 3.5 rounded down.

1001 Albums Generator 288 (5/11/2026) Pretty good mix of chamber pop and indie rock, but not nearly as tight as Funeral. It starts strong with Arcade Fire's biggest hit, followed by two very solid tracks, but there's a lot of fluff in the middle of the tracklist. 3.5/5, rounded down to 3. Favs: The Suburbs Modern Man Sprawl II Least Fav: Rococo

These guys don’t do it for me.

Se nostalgia tivesse um som, seria mais ou menos assim. Funeral também possui uma sonoridade assim, agridoce, repleta de memórias inexistentes, falei sobre isso naquela review. E eu digo isso sendo que não conhecia essa banda na minha infância, não é algo pessoal, estou analisando do lado de fora. Sobre Suburbs, prefiro o estilo mais compacto e direto ao ponto da estréia do grupo, Funeral. Vejo o valor dessa odisseia que eles criaram aqui, e certamente há muitos momentos lindos neste disco, verdadeiramente emocionantes e exilirantes. Mas… odeio quando há um mas. A verdade é que o disco se perde um pouco no meio da sua própria grandeza, e em alguns momentos eu senti uma falta de direção. Não me prendeu da mesma forma. Uma pena, mas têm seus belos momentos e no geral eu gostei. 3.5

alr but too pop

Number: 122 Date: 05/05/2026 Artist: Arcade Fire Album: The Suburbs Year: 2010 Genre: Indie Rock Familiarity: Well-versed (4) Rating: 3 Before: ======= I like Arcade Fire pretty well. They're not one of my favorites but they would be a contender for my favorite top 200 musical artists. I also believe they deserve consideration for a spot on a list of top 1000 albums, but not for this one. I've never listened to the whole thing all the way through, but have skimmed it. Maybe I'll change my mind but as of now Neon Bible is hands down my favorite from them. During: ======= 3 The Suburbs 3 Ready To Start 3 Modern Man 3 Rococo 3 Empty Room 4 City With No Children 4 Half Light I 4 Half Light II (No Celebration) 3 Month Of May 3 Wasted Hours 4 Deep Blue 3 We Used To Wait 3 Sprawl I (Flatland) 5 Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) 4 Suburban War 3 The Suburbs (Continued) ----------------------------------------------------- 3.50 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= 3 my personal rating 2 suitability for this list 3 impact ----------------------------------------------- 2.7 composite rating After : ======= Yeah, it's OK, but I personally think one album from them on this list is plenty and it should be Neon Bible because that is their best, imo.

Good, not great. A couple of outstanding tracks but quite a bit of clever but unfocused noodling that isn't that musically expansive. I'm sure they're a great soundtrack to a balmy late summer afternoon festival picnic when you're 6 ciders in and slightly sunburned

❤️

I know this was highly acclaimed at the time and even if I like this band somewhat it didn't move me that much. Its an interesting concept album about suburban decline and the inevitable of the future but I didn't enjoy many of the tracks in the middle. Nonetheless, the title track is always a great listen.

Cool feelings music, sounds like 80s new wave plus EDM. A bit repetitive though.

Honestly just entirely unremarkable; all entirely listenable and perfectly pleasant, but it's also just extremely generic indie poprock. Listened while working and it manage to grab my attention (for either good or bad) even a single time. The most mid, mid that ever did mid.

Highlights: Pretty much all really cool usage of feedback Rococo Half Light 2 These guys kinda get it... some songs have incredible feedback usage. Unfortunately the songs that don't incorporate this magical noise are bland and boring Very High 3

I was expecting to dislike this album, given my current musical preferences. But I found myself pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect.. the whiny male vocals can be a tad grating at times. But there are moments of brilliance that elevate this album to something worth revisiting. So here I am, reminiscing about days gone by, enjoying Arcade Fire's unique brand of indie rock once more. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - The Suburbs - Ready To Start - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Kinda reminded me of the Flaming Lips.

There’s a 4-star, ten track album within these 16 tracks for sure. A handfuls of songs here measure up nicely to the band’s best work. But overall it feels bloated and weighed down by forced narratives. The end of an era for the band for sure.

I understand some folks like arcade fire, I like a song here and there but I am not a fan of listening to too many of them in a row

*I like Arcade Fire's more uptemp0 stuff better *Very shoegazey and that's not my thing

Not too bad.

некоторые треки рисовали в голове разные кинематографичные сцены, эмоциональные сюжеты. но в остальном скучновато. на фон кайф.

ugh.... these guys again. it's astronomically unlikely that we roll all 3 arcade fire albums in our first 50, but here we are. at least this is the last of em...... of the three, this album has the strongest instrumentation by far. i think my favourite track is "empty room", which has a shoegazey sound that fits perfectly on yet another hot & sunny day (letting the tides of reverb wash over me helps me avoid thinking about why we're consistently hitting temperatures over 20°c during april in fucking britain of all places), but i enjoyed the industrial edge of "rococo" and the experimentation with a 9/8 time signature on "modern man". as usual arcade fire has a tendency to slip into an undeservedly dramatic vibe, as they do on "half light i" for example, but i noticed it less this time. the band did good here. unfortunately though, as with neon bible, i think i'd prefer this much more as an instrumental album. the lyrics are bad again, but this time in a pretentious bullshit way. whining about growing up in the suburbs rings kinda hollow when you're in your 30s and fucking minted, insisting on recording on all vintage equipment and having your tracks mixed by 6 engineers at a time because you don't wanna use automation. "indie rock", huh? gimme a fucking break. "sprawl ii" is perhaps the worst for this with its lyrics consisting mostly of vacuous lamentation over urban sprawl and the woes of being a creative in an unsupportive environment, which again feels tone-deaf when you're a member of a band that bought a fucking church to record in. it's a shame because it's also one of the only songs on the album where régine chassagne gets to perform without win butler singing over the top of her, but if these are the lyrics she's coming up with then maybe i should be thankful..... i'm still giving this one a 3 on the strength of everything that isn't the vocals, but this is largely due to my enjoyment of it on my first listen where i actively refused to process the lyrics. the more i process them and learn about the excess that went into this album's production, the more i sour on it all, and the harder it gets to justify that grade, so don't be surprised if this drops to a 2 in the near future. maybe this band is irredeemable after all.

Much like Funeral this album has its highs, but is The Suburbs the better of the inclusions? Albums like them both need time to marinate, and the format of this project force you to revisit them as you make your journey

I found this quite slow and stripped down during a lot of parts, and only one song really caught my ear. It was alright to have in the background, but I did catch myself absentmindedly skipping a song (I went back), which I never do.

Me gusto mucho

Started out good, but the full album is a slog and gets repetitive.

Fue muy rápido otro disco de Arcade fire. Me pasa que no logro enganchar pero suena bien como de fondo

Me gusto más que el otro disco de Arcade fire

Otro disco de arcade fire? Son amigos del dueño? Este al menos parece ser un poco mejor, si me preguntas si me acuerdo una canción te digo que no. Y si me apuras en 3 semanas no me acuerdo el disco No queda guardado

guay

good groove to keep playing on a sunny morning; might be great for tidying up - cannot recall a particular song

I guess it was okay. I had to relisten to some of it because I spaced out and boom, 5 just had just passed with me noticing it. I will round up from 2.5 because it was good background music that never offended.

3.5. Good but mostly seemed to be background music for me. Nothing grabbed me.

괜찮음

The songs on this one sound a bit more subdued and less bombastic compared to their previous record, Neon Bible. It's a welcome change - Bible sounded like a balls-to-the-wall revival-circus experiment and made it kind of exhausting to listen to. The inventive sounds and arrangements are still here, and they still bring an intensity, but the earnestness and conceptivity is mostly dialed back to a more engaging level.

loved the songs that had the female singer in it, got a bit of everything, wouldnt say got a fav song but a good album to just to play in the background, sprawl II is nice

2010s boppin, you know. Not bad, but of the time

When to listen: suburban yearning. I always hated when men waxed poetic about Arcade Fire, but perhaps they were onto something. I liked the musical allusions and I liked the lyricism.

3.5. Some nice songs, but a bit too long with some filler

Το άλμπουμ νομίζω είχε να κάνει με καταπίεση ή κάτι τέτοιο... δεν είμαι πολύ σίγουρος. Έχει ένα early 2000 θλιβερό ήχο. Μερικά κομμάτια είχαν πιο γρήγορο τεμπο αλλά τα περρισότερα ακολουθούσαν τη παραπάνω λογική. Είχε ωραίο ήχο αλλα προσωπικά βαρέθηκα μερικά. Month of May

pretty good fell off in the middle tho 72/100 started off really strong

No fav song

I guess there are quite good musicians in the band. But it didn't convince me, though.

This is the third AF album I've gotten so far. Can't imagine there are many more on this list. What I've learned is that they haven't held up as well as I would have thought they would've. Oh well.

Not bad. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to listen to it again. It seems like something that could grow on me with time. But I'll give it a 3 for now.

Well, they can't all be Master of Puppets The thing about Arcade Fire isn't even that they're bad. They're aggressively fine. The thing is that they are never as good as the critics and fans try to say. There isn't really an analogue... there are lots of overrated bands that are at least unique. There are lots of very popular bands that are critically hated, because they are terrible. There aren't many bands who get the ass kissed deeper for less. And that makes rating hard, because it kinda always comes up against that bias. To be fair, though, this album isn't one I've heard and it is better than the ones i have. The best stuff here is the female fronted stuff. The majority of this is not that. It feels like an album that wants to be something without knowing exactly what. I think i would like it more if it succeeded in finding out. It also feels like it would be a breakout album from another band. For some reason, from the arcade fire, it feels more like a reinvention to fit into the modern scene, not one to shed a skin of youth into maturity. Certainly win butler cannot be said to have blossomed into maturity at all. There's just always something that feels not quite right. Probably a light 3* in total fairness, though Sprawl II is a hidden gem (compare to Sprawl I for my point about the female vocal songs being better than win's)

3/5. The Suburbs is the best arcade fire album in my opinion (I generally do not like Arcade Fire particularly much). that being said I’m still not in love with the album as a whole, there are just some high-highs like the one-two opening punch of “the suburbs” and “ready to start” or the hard hitting “empty room.” But as a whole I’ve still just never had that “aha” moment with arcade fire where I truly love one of their albums even though I typically love me some indie rock. There are enough good songs here though to where it was a decent experience.

Lacks the dynamism and variety of both Funeral and Neon Bible. It’s not a bad album but it’s a bit boring and samey. 3

ehh pretty good, it was alright. probably wouldn’t listen again but it was catchy 👍

As the cover goes, a great road-trip album. One to go back to. Tad too long.

I am not the biggest Arcade Fire fan, I find their music passable and forgettable. I dont have any major qualms with this album, and it ends strongly, but its just missing the Pizazz that it needs. 3/5

Highlights: title track, Sprawl II, Month of May, Rococco, Empty Room

A bit longer than it needs to be, but has all of the best parts of what Arcade Fire does included amidst some draggy sections. A fun listen, and it was great to have a reason to re-listen to an album I already knew I liked. However, this probably isn’t even the best Arcade Fire album, let alone something near the top tier for me in general.

The suburbs is GREAT.

Funny that one of the best tracks, "Sprawl", occurs at the end of the album. You have to drive through several neighborhoods - some bland, some interesting - to get there, and you're a little tired when you arrive, You can't quite remember where you started from, but you enjoyed the scenery. Some of it was beautiful, in fact. But you wish the trip had been a little shorter.

Rococo wasn't that bad guys. But fr they're sort of giving sad, low production MGMT

Chilla, lekkurt. Ikki so galið. Meira lekkur bakgrundstónleikur enn fara djúpt inn í tekstin. Heitur.

A chill album to listen to while working, I liked it Fav songs - Ready to Start, Empty Room 3/5

lo escuche una sola vez y no me enloquece mucho. muy indie. algun que otro temon

This was generally a good album. Although, besides one song, "Rococo", I'm not sure if I could name other songs on this album that I liked. This just seemed like a concept album that took the genericism of the suburbs as inspiration and then took that inspiration too far.

Back when this came it I remember it felt like something new was happening. But it hasn’t aged very well. It’s about as exciting as the suburbs themselves.

No es mi tipo de música por eso me costó un poco escucharlo. Me gustó más sobre el final. Lo que me gustó también es como suenan todos los instrumentos y todos tienen su protagonismo.

Un sound che assomiglia ai Blur di oggi. Ottimo se durante una passeggiata in montagna dopo mesi in pianura padana pesti una merda di mucca ma te ne freghi, la scarpa si pulirà durante il resto del cammino

Some highs but this album did not catch me off guard once, a bit flat although is a good listen don't get me wrong, more like a weak 3

Not overly inspiring, not overly disappointing. It just is what it is.

I really dug this album when it came out and haven't listened in years. In fact, if I had to guess which of the three albums of theirs from this list would be my favorite, I'd assume it to be this one. But I would assume wrong! I like the songs where the woman's vocals are more the star, but the dude has a bit of a whiny factor to him, and it got to be a lot after an hour + of this. It's the same emotional drip song after song, and I'm just not this emo anymore apparently! They need to make more II songs because Sprawl II and Half Light II are my faves on here. Anyway, apparently Funeral wins my top vote based on my reviews!

Interesting concept but I found the music a bit boring for such a long album.

Ok listening, no songs really stuck with me but i've added the album to a playlist for another listening

I do love a concept album. But I would never have believed you if you told me this was album of the year. Sprawl II is gas though.

I was happy for the album to finish. It wasn't bad it was just boring. Almost like the low-fat vanilla ice cream of alt rock. Just bland and almost being pretentious at times. I've listened to other arcade fire songs and they were much better. More edgy.

Just good

Love that Arcade Fie went for a concept here, but it just drones on...It's good but I wouldn't want to lisen to this as long as I did.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: The Suburbs, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) Standard affair indie music. I don't necessarily think this album deserves all of the accolades it seems to have gotten, but neither is it a bad album. There's good guitar solos and a lot of the music is sonically dense, which I tend to appreciate. For the most part, I usually hone in on the musical aspect of... music (as opposed to the lyrics). I like good beats, rhythms, melodies, solos, etc. and rarely focus on the lyrical content (except for Rap/hip-hop music). Consequently, I read about people's reviews of albums (after submitting my own notes) and usually observe how I completely missed the fact that an album was about X, whether X is depressing topics, social critique, or what have you, and I suspect that this album has something to do with life in .... wait for it.... the suburbs! Did I catch any of the points of any of the songs? No not really. Was the music pleasant to listen to? Yea, sure. Did it resonate with me? Eh, not really. Is this an album I must hear before I die? Perhaps. Culturally the indie genre has been quite relevant and important these past 20-25 years, but I am not sure how this album differs from their other album on the List Funeral, which I gave a 3. I would perhaps bump this up to a 3.5, but I would also round down in this case. I don't think its a 4.

Probably the worst arcade fire album I've heard so far (of their first 3). Very boring stuff though a couple songs save this from being 2 stars

Some of the youthful longing has sapped out of this album over time, it's hard to evaluate it objectively against how my perspective has grown since hearing it first over a decade ago.

Music is not suggests anything exciting Words are avarahge

Buen album, 3/10 cancion fav: month of may

This was a pleasant listen. It sounds very much like alt rock from the 2010's.

meh

I love arcade fire but I was not feeling this album as much.

Hay unos cuantos temas muy guays, pero a partir de empty room excepto una por en medio de después me ha aburrido un poco.

This week I learned about the genre "goblincore". It involves floaty vocals, acoustic melodies and breathless indie folk nonsense. I'm frankly disappointed, there's no way something called "goblincore" should be so boring, but here we are. Why would I tell you all this? I blame Arcade Fire for my disappointment. This album should have been Funeral.

I love the style.

Really unique band that sounds like if U2 combined with MGMT. Some really good songs and great instrumentation. Main gripe with the album is that it's too long and there's some "filler" songs that took away from the whole album listening experience. Otherwise, I would give it a 4

album bardzo jednoliniowy, ale nie slucha sie go zle i nutka otwierajaca album jest moim zdaniem bardzo przyjemna

It boggles my mind that people mention this album in the same breath as they do Funeral and Neon Bible. Those albums are masterpieces. This album is...fine? Some good tracks but bloated with too much filler and way less interesting instrumentation.

This record came out in 2010 and I was obsessed with it for about a month. I really loved it, especially the title track. To be honest, I wasn't much of an Arcade Fire fan before or since. And listening again, I see why. There’s just not very much “there” there. It’s kind of a hollow shell that sounds generically like late aughts/early 10s music. Not bad but not anything special. They went downhill pretty rapidly from here and are now essentially done because the singer is a POS and his wife was an essential part of the band. Kinda like Sonic Youth, but a mediocre boring Canadian version

Taki jakiś nijaki. Jak dla mnie średniak ale co kto lubi.

It’s fair. But not 1000 great.

Arcade Fire are known for their ability to make a good song. Unfortunately they sometimes choose to ignore this ability and make a bad song instead. Highlights: "The Suburbs", "Empty Room", "Suburban War", "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"

Ambiance agréable mais rien de trop marquant

Idrk what I was listening to.. might need to listen again.

Light 3,5

скучно

6/10

Some songs are very catchy and worth the listen but overall this record feels stretchy and at times even boring. I never picked it up before this and it doesnt feel like i missed anything.

ive never heard of arcade fire till now but im impressed. again id have to be in a certain mood but i listened to this album whilst drawing and the ones that made me pause and be like wow were : ready to start, rococo, half light |, month of may and sprawl || (mountains beyond mountains) tie for my ultimate favourite on this album !!!!!

3.5/5

Another solid album from Arcade Fire. Not as good as Funeral, but very enjoyable. I need to explore more of their music.

This is fine, not really a genre I'm into but even then not really sure why I've had 2 albums from this group. Inoffensive but kind of forgettable.

decent, ngl i preferred the songs with the woman singing i think even when her voice was more prominently in the background, some songs i liked more but overall it was fine just not too impressive imo

Really liked this and never heard of them.

Historically I don't really like Arcade Fire but a couple of the songs were pretty catchy and I even added We Used to Wait to my indie playlist. The rest of it is like boring theater. You can tell there is passion and talent there but I just really don't care.

not really my style

Sounds like Coldplay if they ditched the piano abd played the same drums every song. First few songs are solid though.

some good ones, but i cannot get into arcade fire for some reason 3.5/5

Not a "must listen" tbh. 3.5

It's pretty good, nice to listen to but nothing that sticks out to me

It was alright

3.5

tiene un gran sonido, todas las ideas están buenas y suenan bien (los finales con los principios de las canciones, los giros a la mitad, las rockeras y también las poquitas que son más tranquis), me falto conectar con una mucho que diga uf LA canción pero creo que super cumplio

This band have been majorly hyped and I can recognise the musicianship and song writing but does not appeal to me as this isn’t something new or ground breaking and left me a little cold

I used to listen to Funeral a lot in my teens but stopped listening before this release. I never fully checked out this album other than the radio hits so I was looking forward to revisiting. Unfortunately the rest of the songs were pretty dull. Still like them though

I liked it.

Really??? three Arcade Fire albums? 2.8/5

Some good melodies and I think a few songs could grow on me.

6,5/10 proper indie album essential, enjoyed listening to it but probably wont ever again

Even if I liked their first album more, there’s something about this one that still pulls me in.

I have a soft spot for this album but unfortunately the guy is a nonce

This is so milenial hope

Good hipster shit

Some good variety. Kind of reminds me of belle and Sebastian.

This feels like soaring. A body of energy from below pushing upwards and lifting a windglider further and further. It's the perfect amount of thermals, ridge lift, and mountain waves that create a solid, steady motion.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this album but I can't fathom why it's on the list. There are two other AF albums on the list. Those I get. This is fine with an capital "F" and that's it. I have never particularly enjoyed AF but this album lacks any sort of distinctive quality.

3.5/5- Some songs i rlly liked! the overall sound of the album was rlly cohesive.

I didn't hate it. A lot of it was very catchy. If someone were listening to it I wouldn't have a problem with it. If one song came on my playlist occasionally I wouldn't skip it and I would enjoy it. Since it's not exactly my style, listening to the entire album was a bit much. I do appreciate the 80s feel of it though. Listening to it made me think of the fringe characters in an 80s teen movie who are actually the coolest in the school even though they're not popular.

3.0 - Ok

So 2010

Arcade Fire, eine Rock-Band aus Kanada, nahmen „The Suburbs“ zwischen 2008 und 2010 an verschiedenen Orten auf, etwa im privaten Studio der Band in Quebec, im Magic Shop in New York und anderen kleineren Studios. Das Album spiegelt einen Indie-Rock-Ansatz mit Elementen aus Art Rock und Post-Punk Revival wider. Das dritte Studioalbum enthält 16 Titel, darunter mehrere Singles wie „The Suburbs/Month of May“, „Ready to Start“, „We Used to Wait“ und „City with No Children“. Diese Stücke zeigen die thematische Auseinandersetzung mit Erinnerungen an suburbane Lebenswelten und eine musikalische Bandbreite zwischen Indie-Rock-Rhythmen und orchestralen Arrangements. Die Produktion zeichnet sich durch eine Mischung aus Band-Eigenproduktion und Co-Produktion mit Markus Dravs aus und nutzt unterschiedliche Aufnahmeumgebungen, was dem Album einen facettenreichen Klang gibt. Die Texte und Kompositionen spiegeln persönliche Perspektiven auf moderne Alltagswelten wider, ohne sich in Übertreibungen zu verlieren. Die Auswahl der Songs umfasst sowohl den titelgebenden Eröffnungstrack als auch introspektivere Stücke wie „We Used to Wait“ und rhythmisch treibende Nummern wie „Ready to Start“. Insgesamt lässt sich das Werk dem weiteren Indie-Rock-Umfeld zuordnen.

not bad. not my vibe but not bad

Sprawling, and not always in a good way. More of a 3.5

Overall had a pleasant sound but didn't stand out much with a couple of exceptions. I enjoyed the title track and sprawl II but apart from them the album was just okay

indie darlings

not my fave

Really strong intro with a catchy piano melody and vocals that catch your attention off the jump

Every song sounded the same, and the lyrics were hard to hear

chill

A nice shade of beige

memory lane!

Plutôt sympa

Very interesting to listen to for the first time. I enjoyed the lyrics on the first few songs. Then I started noticing some unusual changes in rhythm and melody. And then towards the end, I sort of got bored. It would be worth listening to another time to see if it sticks.

mid, just like the burbs

Me llevé una grata sorpresa con esta banda para empezar esto. No la conocíaz

I never quite understood the hype over this band, and this album didn’t clear things up much. There are a few songs that are quite good, like Sprawl II.

ok not a strong impression

Over long, baggy and uneven

Funeral is better...this is ok. Assume they ran out of ideas....

I'd probably really love this album if I was in my 20s when it came out. I liked many parts of it though I don't think I'll revist it much ultimately. 👍We Used to Wait

A little on the longer side but I enjoyed a good amount of the songs I heard. I liked waster hours 3/5

It was mildly enjoyable but also nothing special

6/10

I feel like I should like Arcade Fire much more than I do. An anthemic rock band that blends Springsteen, U2, and some more modern electronica sounds like it should be right up my alley, particularly during the largely "rock is dead" period from which it comes. And I do like "The Suburbs" more than the much lauded "Funeral". It's got a few really great track, and starts out particularly strong with the 1-2-3 punch of "The Suburbs", "Ready To Start", and "Modern Man." But there's something about this band that just doesn't click. Maybe it's the indie whininess. Maybe it's the concept album pretension (though that doesn't bother me so much in a prog rock context). Maybe it's the interminable length. Maybe it's the weak stretch in the middle of the record. This is now my favorite Arcade Fire record, and I don't think I'm likely to reach for it ever again.

This is...fine.

good stuff 3/5

Enjoyed this. I imagine they’d be good live.

not really my genre but I do like the sound. I don’t know if it’s necessarily something I’d listen to everyday. A lot of the sections feel quite repetitive, but I like the instruments and everything. I like the month of May and modern man so far… very twee indie like okay. I also like Sprawl II (mountains beyond mountains)

I have always enjoyed Arcade Fire and would like to hear more from them.

Not bad - I added the title track The Suburbs to my playlist

Loved the first song and the second sprawl track was cool lots of cool arrangements but sometimes bit of a snooze fest

Enjoyed the higher tempo feeling songs much more than the slower ones. That being said, some of the slower songs did have a very good crechendo on the back end. A handful didnt land with me. Very much peaks and valleys.

I'm breaking my rule of just thinking about the album at hand without extraneous information or context. I was on board with Arcade Fire when Funeral came out. I didn't have any information I just had the album itself and I really enjoyed it. Neon Bible was okay but I didn't really like it as much. By the time Suburbs came out I wasn't really going out of my way to hear the tracks on it. On this listen Sprawl II is still one of the tracks that aged the best. I also enjoyed Empty Page. There were other times where I was kind of just stuck listening to the lyrics and I couldn't help but feel like I was stuck sitting to a guy getting nostalgic. In 2026 nostalgia is a ripe fruit odor in the venus flytrap of the attention economy and authoritarian movements. I don't want to sit thorough my own or anyone else's. It made me reconsider their whole catalog so minus some stars.

I don't get it. I know this record won all sorts of awards, including the 2011 Grammy for album of the year. I'll even go so far as to say that this album sounds really good, the arrangements are solid, and the recording is good (not great). I just don't care. I am completely ambivalent about this album. A few possible explanations: First, the vocals are buried; there are some nice harmonies here, but they are relegated to background texture. When producers do that, they'd better have some damn interesting music in the foreground, and this record doesn't deliver enough to keep my attention. Also, the passion in the lyrical expression feels contrived. It's there, but I fail to connect to it. This is clearly a record that many people enjoy. Listening to it was pleasant enough. I just see no reason to return to it again. Three stars.

Soft and easy 21st century rock. This is what I come to expect from Arcade Fire and this record didn't deceive me. Arcade Fire is one of those bands I hear others talk about in high regard, one of those unicorn kind of bands, but they just never did anything for me to that level. The music is good, sequencing is cool, overall vibe is nice and has some cool elements threaded throughout it, but it's just not something I would intentionally revisit. Decent production though, so the record as a whole is mid.

3.2 I likey some of de songs

This band would be better if Win Butler didn't exist, which seems to be the case for society in general.

Grew up listening to this album. Most of the songs I enjoy. Some I quite loathe. Whatever. Starts out strong. Definitely a significant album for me in high school. Hasn’t really aged that well for me, like I’m not super excited to listen to this again.

This felt like it was too long a journey.

My least favourite Arcade Fire album. It's still okay.

4 étoiles pour la version de 35 minutes.

I have this album and listened to it plenty when it came out. There’s some really memorable songs and also some stuff this has been wiped from my brain. Sprawl 2 is great, I can’t stand Rococo and have always skipped it. Can’t decide whether I love or hate this now. Given that it was on high rotation but I haven’t touched it for 10 years plus, it’s getting a 3. Middle of the road.

Suprised with how much that my friends growing up seemed to like this album that it is so... Boring. I think this genre has reached critical overexposure for me in the early 2010s and now my brain can only associate it with adverts for PG movies and woodland retreats, so much so I find it hard to feel anything for what I'm hearing. I kinda like the concept that is going on through this album which has actually aged pretty incredible, but the music itself is just... Milquetoast. The music video for the titular track is depressingly prescient though.

This album offered a lot of diversity, each song bringing its own feel. With a name like Arcade Fire, I expected more oomph but felt like only a few songs offered the punch I was hoping for.

The Suburbs offers a relaxed, easygoing indie sound that’s pleasant without demanding much attention.

I'd listened to the opening of this album a number of times over the years, but strangely enough I never continued listening to the rest. "The Suburbs" (title song) is still great in how it captures a certain wistfulness and nostalgic melancholy. It exemplifies something this album does very well, which is to have the instrumentation work in tandem with the lyrics to illustrate them. I do think though, that since this is partly an album about midlife disenchantment, that this CAN manifest as boredom in the production itself. I have to admit that I found it a little too easy to zone out during this album, and there are definitely moments of tedium; weirdly enough, the tedium seems more pronounced during the more ostensibly upbeat songs ("Month of May" being a particular low point, for me, and an introduction to a weaker, more meandering section of the album). The album picks back up, though, with "We Used to Wait" and finishes strong with the two-part suite "Sprawl". Part II is the climax of the album when all the plodding angst suddenly unfurls into something euphoric, like waking up to a beautiful sunset after a night of despair. "Ready to Start" is also particularly great. I really like that moment when the vocals get a half-step out of sync with the backing instruments on the lyric 'if I was pure, you know I would'; to me it adds authenticity as it signals the character's hesitancy, almost as if he's questioning whether he really means what he's saying.

very specific vibe

straight man music from a gay guy. 3/5.

Omg, I can’t tell you how much I loved their first album. I didn’t mind this one but it sounded like a lot of the Indi pop of this era.

Ok, but it doesn't light me on (Arcade) Fire.

I fell off Arcade Fire before this album, and while I liked Neon Bible, it was a shade on Funeral. I don't really know what came after. I did get to know this album in subsequent years, and have grown to like most of it. Ready To Start is a great song. the rest is okay, but I'll give it just a 3.

ok this sound exactly as i expected it to sound not bad, just not at all surprising good transitions! kind of giving ost despite loving them in the moment, the songs, for some reason, just don't leave a lasting impression

It's a good record, but Funeral is (appropriately) the one album by them you need to hear before you die, if that's how you want to go out. Neon Bible is you need a second.

The music of Arcade Fire (or any of the indie bands in that genus) has never connected with me on any sort of emotional level. Maybe it's because I'm not from the suburbs? I can't deny this its three stars for being well-put-together or whatever, but this'll probably be the last time I play it.

Good but didn't capture me like the other albums on the list of theirs. Decent But unremarkable

OK, but some of the female vocals weren't my favourite.

Enjoyable but not overly memorable / nothing that made me stop what i was doing to really listen to the song. Feels like something that was once really notable for what it was doing but has since been made unremarkable by the extent of what it has inspired (idk) and not enough of my genre for me to really appreciate what makes it stand out.

Despite growing up on Tumblr, I’m pretty sure this was my first time listening to Arcade Fire. This album was very 2010… mostly inoffensive to my sensibilities but not one I would return to anytime soon. I think I preferred the back half (“Month of May” onwards)

Arcade Fire suffer because they inspired a truly insufferable wave of bands that followed them and were worth less than nothing. This style of indie late 00s, early 10s folkish rock once sounded great and groundbreaking but has been left woefully behind and sounding, frankly, naff. Arcade Fire were the best of these types of bands and this was their last worthwhile output but half the songs sound like they’d go well beyond a mobile phone ad and the other half sound whiny. Sprawl II is great though. Great enough to bump up the album to a 3/5.

Still can't figure out if I like this band or not. There are some really cool sounds and moments, but they need to edit their albums down more. There are a lot of boring runs leading up to the good parts. The issue I have with Arcade Fire I think is that they try to be really deep and conceptual with their lyrics but all my favorite parts are when I'm ignoring the lyrics and just listening to the melodies and rest of the band. If it was an album full of nonsense vocalizations and harmonies along with the music I think I'd like it better than trying to focus on whatever is being presented for an hour +. The lyrics are never quite clear and kind of mumbly. Sometimes I don't want to sit and focus on what's being said for that long. Standouts are "Modern Man" - I really liked that weird extra beat they'd throw in a lot of lines - "Empty Room" "Month of May" and "Sprawl II." It's an average 3 for me. Good but nothing lasting in my memory really

Paar goede nummers op dit album, over het algemeen langdradige nummers welke diep proberen te zijn.

January 10, 2026 (Saturday) Album of the Day: The Suburbs (2010) - Arcade Fire (1/12/2026) Didn't listen until Monday XD. It sounds well-produced, but the album doesn't do anything special for me. I feel like (if they were used correctly) the songs from this album could go really hard in a coming-of-age movie/TV-show. Favorite Song: The Suburbs (really interesting music video)

I first heard about Arcade Fire from a now defunct magazine in the early 2000s around the release of Funeral. It was an incredible album that hooked me. It hit at the right time and helped herald in a new genre of rock music. Unfortunately, within 5 years, they gained worldwide fame, started playing arenas, and turned out this generic bastardization of their once original sound. It is a testament to the ridiculousness of the Grammys that this won for Album of the Year. Funeral and, to a lesser extent, Neon Bible deserved far more acclaim than this. Fame got to them, and they lived long enough to become the villain. Win Butler has been accused of sexual assault, his brother quit the band, and nothing they’ve ever put out comes close to their first album.

My 3rd Arcade Fire album…I pulled them in order. This one starts and ends very strong, but with such a lull in the middle, it makes it kind of a drag to get through, especially given the length. I was a huge fan of their debut, and own these first three albums, but the trend for me was 5, 4, 3. This project had me dust all 3 off and nothing has changed. I haven’t even followed the band after this release, but now mildly curious to check out their more recent output. So, at least there’s that.

I remember thinking this was the worst of their albums when this came out. It seemed too polished, all the edges knocked off for easier swallowing by the masses. It’s still not a terrible album by any means, but I stand by that initial assessment.

I feel like I’ll have to listen to it again to fully know my feelings about it

Arcade Fire is so uninteresting. I don’t know why they merit more than one spot on this list.

At over a hour long, the placement of the two familiar, radio friendly singles at position one and two on the track listing seems misguided. The remainder of the album is incredibly dull, and typical of this period. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Bored ★★★☆☆ (5/10) Total reviewed : 191 Already owned : 44 Purchased : 8 To buy list : 4 Nope : 135

no lo quieroe scuchar

Ok. Fell asleep to it.

This was so meh. Like the songs were good but I genuinely didn’t feel anything at all, no hate no love. It’s just so stagnant there was nothing disappointing or special it’s so weird. Idk anymore I think I need an album I’ve listened to before.

Surprised to find some songs on here that I already knew. An album centered around the idea of boring suburbia is pretty interesting as the disdain towards American suburbia wasn't as big in 2010. There's some nice songs but I'm just not that big of a fan of Arcade Fire. Maybe it'll grow on me someday. The Mercedes on the front cover is cool at least.

Good background music for chill vibes but not meant to be listened to too intently imo. Nothing really jumped a ton. Favorite track: City With no Children

Easy listening music - I feel like I would hear one of these songs on Dad’s radio in the morning. That being said it’s an hour 3 minutes of a little too similar sounding music. There’s some that are better than others

Wasted Hours probably best song. So so album 3/5

very interesting and 2010’s. If anything it captured the 2010s really well. I liked the vibes but it wasn’t too stand out.

Pretty good album but not their best.

Fun and upbeat, but all the fun comes from repeated music with vocals directing the fun. 3/5

like the transitions between first two songs, Rococo was defo the fav!

Solid but not my taste

Nostalgic

This is the second Arcade Fire album we’ve heard (so far). Both of them were pretty decent, with a few good tracks and others that were forgettable. If you took the best tracks from the two albums and made that an album, it would rate four stars.

Good golly, is every single Arcade Fire album on this thing? Surely no song on here will surpass 'No Cars Go', though. Overall this did feel like a better album than their earlier ones; pretty solid throughout. More poppy and less sprawly. I think they performed some of these songs on shows I've seen. But indeed, no No Cars Gos. Another 3.5, maybe. Highlight: 'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)'

6 - AVERAGE

I liked Month of May. Otherwise album was fine. Easy listening, had it on in the background while doing house chores. 3/5.

Just doesn’t resonate with me.

nmg da verujem da mi izadje 2 albuma ovog benda ovako brzo, realno nisam imao motivacije da se udubim u slusanje, bilo je ok dacu mu 3/5, al realno treba da se poslusa opet

A chill album, standouts are The Suburbs, Rococo, We Used to Wait. I can see myself driving my car with the album playing, but only on an afternoon. Made me sleepy.

This album was just OK to me. Started out decent enough. The suburbs was a good song and a couple of tracks that followed were alright. But after that, wasn’t a whole lot here to get terribly excited about. I ended up finding a lot of these songs repetitive, and by extension the overall album repetitive. In the end, it was just an average album from a relatively average band.

This way too millenial for my liking. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just not my thing.

Zu lärmig

title track is wonderful, but otherwise I kind of hate their vibe, and this washed-out dreamy un-remarkable indie

I found this album to be more Arcade Embers than a full on fire. Some tracks were good but not brilliant and others were a damp fizzle. Probably won’t listen again as it just didn’t do anything special

Arcade fire - the suburbs. 5/10. Neil Young and Talking Heads influences are obvious among others. Some hints of Springsteen at times. I'm glad to have heard this album but it's not an instant favourite. Lyrics are a weak point in an album that is very of it's time in the Indie rock era.

It's nice I guess

I loved Sprawl I and Sprawl II! Great songs

This is literally what every song in the late 2000s sounded like.

Feels like a longing for the mundane. The main energy seems to be ennui and a day-in-the-life sort of story about suburban life.

Few good songs, but just very same same after that

This was decent, something I wouldn't balk at listening to again. I'd place it somewhere between Funeral and Neon Bible. 3.4

First few songs were great after that it was okay.

Good album. Not for me.

Walking into an Urban Outfitters. Arcade Fire is piped in. You don’t buy anything, but for a brief moment, you feel really cool.

Indie rock

I've never been able to get into Arcade Fire. I always felt like the way they were raved about by my musical peers that I should like them, but they always just kinda felt a bit boring to me. Listening to this now, I can absolutely respect the songwriting, some iconic tracks on here, production is very cool. There are some things they do musically that I just don't really vibe with anymore, but I do love a concept record and the more spacious, ambient moments and string arrangements are what keep me invested. It's a fantastic record, for sure. I just think I might have missed the window on this one where it would have hit me hard in the way it did a lot of my friends.

it's not BAD per se, but the whole album sounds like the most forgettable songs from the soundtrack of a quite recent (2010's up to now) movie/series i get that there are people that enjoy this type of music, i do as well in some cases, but not this time

Decent, we used to wait has major nostalgia points

i think that the vibe is generally good. It's so damn long though and i think runs its course a little. Some nice songs though like "the suburbs". I think a lot of the musical ideas and grand sequences like in "deep blue" Works. However, i think a lot of the musical moments might be hampered by the lyrics. Especially that one song pontificating whether the singer is as bad as a millionaire, i don't know guess i have a knee jerk reaction of someone actively trying to make me sympathesise for rich people lol. Seems like some of the lyrics veer into self-indulgent and a little fake deep to be honest, but to be fair didn't really listen to the lyrics in depth lol. this feels particuraly acute with like the slower more sprawly songs. Think i prefer more of the punchy songs. The thing that i can definitely say that it is hampered the most is its length. It's an hour long and only like a handful of songs really drew my attention a little. A lot of the songs have similar structure and musical beats as well with the orchestra and pans out better in some songs over other. Maybe might change my mind after a relisten but right now think will give it a 3 stars

very good

A band I was aware of but never listened to.

A bit uneven. Overall good but falls into melancholy on one end and noisy riffs on the other.

Some really nice instrumentation, the band sounds really cohesive and in tune with one another, great mix too. Not a fan of the vocals tbh, I dont find them that interesting. The songs themselves I'm not the biggest fan of, just not my style I think. Some very nice moments with big crechendos. Reminds me of Saltburn

I’d always meant to listen to Arcade Fire. I think I might have seen them at some stage. It was alright

A drag, just like living in the suburbs

Feels exactly like living in the suburbs. Everyone seem to like it and you want to like it too, but you just can't feel completely comfortable.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘴 is a well-crafted album with a clear sense of scale and ambition, but its emotional spark appears only in select moments. The band from Quebec builds a polished sound palette — lush arrangements, strong dynamics and a theme that runs consistently through the record — yet not every track carries the same intensity. Compared to 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭, the sense of wonder and urgency feels scattered rather than constant. When the album clicks, it does so beautifully: certain songs capture that sweeping, cathartic Arcade Fire magic, where melody and momentum spill over with feeling. But in between those highlights, the pacing softens and the atmosphere becomes more restrained than gripping, resulting in an uneven listening experience. Good music overall, just not consistently transformative.

The record that took the Arcade Fire to the stratosphere. A solid effort front-to-back, but like a lot of double albums, it does suffer from some bloat. Other than the title track and Sprawl II, there aren’t many tracks that leave me thinking I need to revisit them.

i’ve never really have given this band a chance. i’ve heard great things about this record though, so i was pretty open minded going into it. i’m not planning on diving deeper into them or anything though.. isn’t the main dude kind of creepy? i don’t trust a mf named Win. just call yourself Edwin you dick. anyway, 3.5/5.

I’m not an Arcade Fire fan, they are like the U2 of Indie. I tried to many times, though, the last of which, was when this album came out and I bought it. There are some high points, but I don’t think it needed to be a whole album. I preferred the vibe of Neon Bible.

First time listening to them, they are ok to me, but just ok

Good music but overlong.

“Oh, good, these guys again.” - Me, said sarcastically after rolling my second Arcade Fire album for this project. I really don’t know what it is about this band specifically, none of this is bad and the background aspects are very well done, I just find it all so pretentious, by the books, generic and boring. If someone were to play any of this, I wouldn’t object listening to it, but I would absolutely skip it 100% of the time if it was just me in the car. This is a prime example of the kind of generic indie rock that I can tolerate listening to, but do not prefer or recommend to anyone I know. They for sure aren’t the first band I’ve heard that just sound disingenuous, and they won’t be the last, but they just come off sounding kind of fake and phoned in. Damn, I’m being kind of rude to this album. It’s not as bad as I’m making it out to be, I promise. It’s fine. Passable at best, and more good then bad, but it’s very easy to critique as well for its faults, and hard to praise when every song sounds the exact same as the one before it. Not sure if I liked this or Neon Bible more. Probably the ladder, as it had 1 song I really loved. This one, not so much. I think the opener was probably the best song, “The Suburbs”.

Arcade is life the French food of alternative music (ok, maybe French Canadian food). All the critics like them, they sound good, they have a good message, and if there are musical food groups, this band would probably have a healthy amount of everything that is good. But like French food, even after eating it, I just never seem to crave it or feel like I need it. The sad part is that I want to like them for all the obvious reasons (and they are good reasons), but I can't get into them. The first album was better to me, and this one started strong, but before the first track was over, I felt the old not caring creeping right in. Help me understand this band.

Good mix of tunes on this AF album which I think is one of their better ones. Like the energy of Ready To Start.

Not totally my thing I always liked the suburbs (continued) so I liked the suburbs too. I liked another one as well so pretty good ratio of add to playlist. I think they do some theatre-ish songs that don't appeal to me but otherwise… nice

The title track is a jaunty number, but overall I didn't like this as much as previous albums. My one abiding memory of this at the time was Rosie O'Donnell freaking out that it won the Grammy for Album of the Year because she had never heard of it... Not much of a legacy I suppose.

Good indie stuff

Couple of bangers...but rest are so...so

Meh

Not for me.

Funeral was a better album than this one.

It's a really good album. The suburbs is my favorite song. I loved the transition to ready to start. At some point the lead singer changes, that was unexpected.

Melancholia at its finest. If I could rate in half-stars it would be a 3 1/2 star record.

eh

good listening

Nice. Not nearly as good as Funeral. 3/5

Solid Album.

Feels like i want to get a moustache tattoo for my hand and talk about how I met your mother

An interesting band albeit not my usual type of thing. I enjoyed quite a few songs here (Sprawl I and II, Half Light I and II, Suburban War to name some) but some just didn't quite hit the mark for me. They're a talented group (having seen them live I can confirm) but not always up my street.

Some absolute stompers on here but also experienced my most painful listen in the 3rd track

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

It was decent

Very good, I saved it, wants me want to listen to more Arcade Fire

Ganz gemütlich, hat mich aber nicht vom Hocker gerissen

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.

I like, really nice, chill, idk i liked

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

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!

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.

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.

Pretty nice, didn't really stick out to me too much

Bonne petite musique de fond.

I enjoyed it, maybe a bit long but it was neat how everything felt connected

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

Ei nyt vakuuta eikä hetkauta

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

Slightly preferred neon bible. 3.

Some songs do just pop off like crazy but many do kind of end up a wash

nice 3.5