Reviews (page 9 of 14)
We're rockin' the suburbs Bla bla bla blah blah Dee bla
Was sorta Riley music but doesn't make me want to buy a phone
Teen pop tunes, nothing to be mad at and was pretty nice to listen to in the heat in the ride home from work
Its ok but not as unique as their earlier stuff
Quite enjoyed that
I'd give it 3.5 if I could. It's too noodly, tbh.
My new fav band! Each songs are unique..
My gateway to the incredible world of AF - somehow gets better with every listen
New to me, i really enjoyed it !
This is definitely an album and there are definitely songs on it. I believe I listened to the whole thing, but I have absolutely no memory of any of it, because it is somewhat like a less interesting U2 album.* Nothing was bad, I don’t think, but it was purely background music. Like for a movie. But not a very good one. And there was an hour of it? In retrospect, the album is titled The Suburbs, so I guess it has the appropriate level of excitement. * I have never found anything U2 did to be terribly interesting and have always been confused by their fame and notoriety.
It’s competently written and performed. But Arcade Fire remains frustratingly opaque for me.
Nothing overly memorable, but a nice listen.
Buen álbum, no es mucho mi estilo pero suena bien y es relajante
Pretty average but enjoyable. Way too long though. This would be a solid 4 if it were 30 minutes shorter.
Really enjoyed this album. personally really easy listened indie rock.
fine
Really liking it so far. It feels very early 2000s Good shit
Enjoyable.
Finally I get around to listening to Arcade Fire. I like this style of indie rock or whatever you call it. However every song always feels like its missing something. Like they are 90% of the way to having a great song. The suburbs is my fav track, but I knew about that song before this album.
I’m more of a funerals guy from Arcade Fire. However, I’ve listened to this a few times and it’s growing on me.
5/10 Totally baffling that this is my third AF album in a list of 1000. No chance they are that significant, but I’m not reviewing the list Another Arcade Fire album that did nothing for me. Their music leaves me cold - it is like a simulacrum of anthemic stadium rock, but is so calculated and soulless. It’s like they listen to the likes of U2, Coldplay etc and say “let’s bang out 4 of those type of songs per album”. To be fair to this one, production was well-executed, it was dense musically, and the use of strings was good. Don’t like the vocals very much - the female led pop banger was easily my favourite Best: Sprawl II
Nostalgic for this kind of alienation. I wonder if this music would have felt underwhelming if we knew what was coming after 2010. Still, wove itself into my soul in 2010 and will always be there.
Boring.
I’m sure that if I listened to this enough I’d grow to like it eventually. It’s pretty fine, but I don’t have anything invested in the band, so it’s no more than fine. And would probably be better if it were twenty minutes shorter.
Some songs I like a lot in a very 2010s way.
This is kind of a fun album. I liked the vibe!
My favorite of their records. This was on repeat my first year of grad school.
Fine album.
Enjoyed this
Den sidste vi havde med Arcade Fire var en positiv overraskelse, fordi jeg troede de lød meget mere som det her. Den slags indie jeg forbinder med Starbucks, ikke for mig! Også for lang. Stadig en stor 2'er
Skøn plade som jeg har hørt *rigtig* meget, og som ikke helt sniger sig op på 5 fordi midten af pladen er lidt for lang og slet ikke holder nivoet fra starten og slutningen.
One of the first albums that got me into indie!
Boring, predictable indie pop with no soul whatsoever.
I like it, but to go with the concept, it does feel like it sprawls a little itself and could have used a couple of cuts
There's a few songs on this album I love but for the most part this is not an album I put on very often. Example: The honky-tonk piano on the title track and the way Win sings doesn't really match right for me. The debut album "funeral" was incredible, though! There are definitely songs that I dig though...just miss how they sounded when they were more raw and "alive"
Yeahhhh. A favorite album of my lifetime. Their sound is so masterfully dialed-in. Each song feels refined to its purest form. And there's an eeriness to the songs. Just shy of nostalgia or optimism. Their depiction of the groaning chasm that is the suburban sprawl is so heavy. I feel the emptiness. And just themes of waiting, going nowhere, lack of a sense of place. The void is real. But idk it doesn't feel like it's just trying to be depressing. It's like real reflection and processing. Also when they won the Grammy I love that their speech was basically "thanks.. now we're going to play some music" 😂
Saai
A strange thing happens when I listen to Arcade Fire. Starting out I’m always like this is really good, I should listen to more of them! Then about halfway through the album I get really tired of hearing them. It’s the strangest thing, because I like their music
Such a solid album. Really enjoyed this.
8/10 I guess they never heard the phrase less is more. The album is simply too long with too many songs being nice but non essential. Some great tracks near the beginning and end though. Highlights: We Used to Wait Sprawl II The Suburbs Ready to Start Modern Man Deep Blue Half Life I
Sounds pretty new to me. Loved a couple songs. Seems like im starting to explore new genres
Like many a double concept album from the 1970’s, this 2010 version of the format doesn’t quite hit the mark. 3 stars is harsh as there are some really high moments on this album, and there’s a definite 4* potential 5* in there for a shorter edit, but I can’t help but think that when sitting through 1h 4m of their songs, many of them start to sound indistinct from each other.
I enjoyed this
it was nice to listen to, maybe an easy choice as upbeat ambience
Pretentious as hell but I cried all the same.
Actually a pretty nice album, the songs were good and I enjoyed having this in the background. This album was released fairly recently but it would've been a great listen back in the day. Nowadays, I feel like it might be a bit outdated but I am sure there would still be people who would enjoy while chilling.
“We used to wait” is more profound than I was ready for driving home from Walmart.
Brought back lots of college memories. Fun juxtaposition of heavy lyrics and breezy, upbeat music on lots of songs. Some songs come across as a little too smug and self-important. 4/5.
Not somebody I was familiar with, but it was enjoyable. I'd listen again.
This is a slight step down from Neon Bible to me. The song writing is still quite strong, but there is a little bit of sameness to the tracks that makes this album drag more than the band’s previous works. I still thought it was a worthwhile listen, but I can’t imagine myself revisiting this album.
I didn't have much time to listen to AF at the time, so was interested to hear it; I remember various friends liked them. It sounds like this was peak AF, with all the awards? It's definitely a good album, and I believe they were/are a great live band. It's a 7 out of 10 really - I do love the sound, but not always the music itself. I also detect (thanks to this project) a big Neil Young influence and am not convinced it's particularly unique. I'm being slightly ungenerous, therefore, rounding it down to 3, but tbh I wasn't awed enough to know that I'll definitely listen again.
Auf Arcade Fire ist Verlaß. Alle Titel sind in jeder Hinsicht anders, anspruchsvoll aufgenommen, selbst der Gesang überrascht mit Überraschungen. Mainstream ist Out, hoch lebe der Indie Mainstream.
Pretty decent, like it’s vibes
Heard a few of these songs before. I did like this but it was pretty average, nothing really stood out to me
Just like Neon Bible, this is just another ho him media fastball down the middle. Nothing bad, nothing overly exciting. Easy to listen to. But just there for me.
Not necessarily my favorite thing, but credit where credit is due... this is a great album. 5
tröttnat, pallar nt ens lyssna klart
É um bom álbum, bem nostalgico. Eu já escutava antes de sair aqui no 1001 álbuns, mas foi bom revisitar. Favs: We Used to Wait, Deep Blue, Suburban War e Sprawl II
O cheiro de 2010 que tem esse álbum socorro Gostei, apesar de algumas músicas serem um tédio, tem umas outras bem boas Destaques: Sprawl 2, Rococo. Ready to Start e Month May
#85 - easy listening, groovy, but nothing that particularly stands out.
Pretty good. I have heard of this band but never listened. It was better than what it had imagined
I don't know what I was expecting, but this was not even remotely close to whatever this was. I understand that Arcade Fire was highly influential, but this didn't resonate with me at all.
2-3
I never listened to Arcade Fire intentionally; this album showed me why. There's nothing in it for me, no head bobbing or foot tapping.
14 years later I still don’t like arcade fire
A lovely eclectic mix of instruments bringing out some lyrically beautiful songs. Love the transitions between the songs, they are seamless and make this album a game to listen to in one sitting.
Strong songwriting aboutt he millenial struggle against capitalist urbanism. The soundscape gets a little too drawn out in the middle, could have done with a trim. But the standout songs are good.
Arcade Fire never lit my fire. Nevertheless, they are an excellent band and this is an excellent album. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-the-suburbs-by-arcade?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
2.5 decent songs. Not a huge fan of the mix. Pretty muddy and the vocals got completely lost at times
Not a bad album, pretty well made just not for me.
I love Modern Man and by Half Light I, I'd decided this is a masterpiece
I have two friends that really like this band, but I've never put time into checking them out. This was pretty good, I'm just not really into the "indie" sound. I imagine that this is good for lyric lovers UNLIKE ME ONCE AGAIN. Anyway yea
Unique sound, with a hint of the Smiths but more modern sounding - great lyrics, mellow, fun to listen to
I’m rating this like a week after listening but I remember loving it. Like it wasn’t brilliant but I remember getting so in to it that I thought it was my own playlist.
Wanted to listen to it for the 2nd time, so good. 4.5*
i think maybe i should listen to more arcade fire bc all their stuff is stuff i like
A mixed bag, but overall good. One of those albums that invokes nostalgia even though I’d never heard it before. Favorites: Sprawl II, Ready to Start 3.5
Still good.
6/10
A little bland.
This took me back to The Suburbs. Though it’s not the Month of May, these were not Wasted Hours.
Better than the first Arcade Fire album I had. Confused why I even had a second arcade fire. Some nice transitions between songs, couple of great songs, opener is really catchy, peppered in between some forgettable ones. Honestly, I don't think you need to listen to multiple AF albums before you die. It could have been one or the other (hey, we have 1001 albums to include after all).
It's a decent album
Love this as a full listen more than picking and choosing singles. Really tells a story of what the suburbs used to be like before they really become cookie cutter houses and neighborhoods. The feeling of boredom, isolation and abandonment really come though on this. This is for a generation of kids that were sent out into the world to fend for themselves, at least until the streetlights came on!
A nice lilting breeze of classic bossa nova. Great sophisticated cosmopolitan 70s dinner party vibes
I’m really surprised I didn’t know anything from this album. This kind of alt is right in my genre wheelhouse. But because of my familiarity with the genre, I’m also more scrutinous. I thought this album was just okay. There were a handful of pretty good songs! I just really hated the vocal mixing. The female voice, especially, sounded really garbled.
I liked this one, but as the album went on it became pretty long and it lost me a bit. I can see why it was in the book, but I can also see why it isn't anymore Standouts Suburban War 3/5
I’m not a huge fan of arcade fire but I didn’t hate this album But it was a bit boring. Four stars I guess
I didn't like this album quite as much I remember. Let me give half stars please
FFIIIIIIVE I LOV THIS BANGOR
Pre-listening thoughts: oh boy let me act excited for another arcade fire album! Not like we just had one last week or something. Random generator, you couldn’t have shaken it up a bit more?! Post/during listening thoughts: wait ok hold on. Wait. This is good. This is leagues better than their other album we got. I listened to this album twice because once again I am conflicted on my score. On one hand, it’s long, it’s very white millennial, and towards the middle, some of the songs bleed together. On the other hand, there are some really strong tracks in here, I like the way it loops back in on itself (hence why I listened twice), and the lyricism is something to applaud. I think it’ll grow on me so you know what, it gets 4 stars. 7.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah Fav tracks: The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Empty Room, Half Light II, Month of May, Sprawl II Least fav tracks: Half Light I, Sprawl I (didn’t hate them but I think the second halves stand well on their own and these are weaker halves imo)
This album is about as exciting as living in the suburbs. There are some bits, and pieces I enjoyed, but it drug on way too long(sorta like spending too many years in the suburbs). Favorite Track: "Sprawl II(Mountains Beyond Mountains)".
it was fine, confused as to how this is so highly rated
换个环境听可能会更喜欢
The Suburbs by Arcade Fire turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I didn’t know exactly what to expect going in, but it certainly wasn’t this. The album mixes catchy hooks with introspective lyrics, creating a reflective atmosphere that balances melancholy without ever feeling morbid or overly dark. Win Butler’s vocals work well with the tone of the album, and while I prefer his singing over Régine Chassagne’s, her contributions are limited enough that it doesn’t disrupt the overall flow. Standout Song: City With No Children Score: 4/5
Not sure I understand all of the critical acclaim or the vitriol surrounding this album. I thought it was enjoyable enough, and really liked a couple of the songs, but didn’t find it remarkable either way. Probably a three.
Typical indie rock yawnfest. Snooze.
this may be the best arcade fire album. fully matured, well rounded, dark, and twisting. it feels like a perfectly built album. and, for as long as it is, it doesnt have any bloat. i likey this one. explore it. listen to it again. the gentleness and ferocity are top tier.
This was really bad. Maybe the most repetitive album I've ever listened to. Every song and almost every instrument would just repeat the same riff, if not the same single note and rhythm over and over and over for the entire duration of the song. There is no melody outside of the vocals whatsoever. That being said the vocals were difficult as well. I really didn't care for the male vocalist in any way. The one bright spot was the song with all female vocals. It carried melody and was slightly less repetitious. Horrible experience and this album is almost unmusical. 1/5. I'd give it less if I could.
Rococo. Really interesting concept for an album. Interesting style and surprising. Enjoy hearing the different instruments making sounds.
The beginning of the album starts out poor and muddled, the instrumentals seem to drown out the lyrics on most songs. easy music to ignore. though for some reason I'd like to continue to listen past today. I think it is because I like the later songs in the album better. fav songs: empty room, deep blue, sprawl II
Not my thing but seems pretty good for the genre.
Yeah honestly (and this has happened only once before) I didn’t finish it, tried my best. None of this is particularly interesting and when something is it’s repeated until you kinda hate it. I don’t think any of this was all that inventive in 2010 either. Idk I was kinda vibing on modern man I remember but that feels like days ago.
I was a little disappointed, maybe because my expectations were so high after Funeral. I like the title track, but none of the other songs grabbed me. Maybe I need to give it more time?
I think I tend to think of this as the third part of a trilogy of great albums. But, it's definitely the weakest of the batch, and there's a bit of a "been there, done that" feel to the whole thing.
My recollection of this album was kinder than my listening experience today. I thought I'd be giving this a 4 (docking a star because Win Butler is fucking gross) but think this is really more of a 3 with two, maaaybe three 4 star songs. There's something really longing about 'The Suburbs' and 'Ready to Start' is a good segue - but everything else kind of blurs together (despite multiple listens), or is borderline annoying (Empty Room especially.)
Very repetitive and not at all interresting.
Almost completely forgettable aside from Month of May.
Fantastic modern rock album that takes a lot of cues from indie music of the time.
Sounds like an Arcade Fire album.
7/10. Rococo and Sprawl II are great songs.
3.5. Good album but I can only take so much of his vocals. Liked Modern Man, Suburban War, and Sprawl II
Just not a band I need to listen to a whole album
This album dragged, nothing was remarkable, and I assume I will have forgotten this album by mid-afternoon today. I was going to mention this is the first time I've ever listened to Arcade Fire, but my history proves otherwise and tells me I listened to another album of theirs on this list months ago...which only supports my current impression that this music is entirely forgettable and uninteresting. It sometimes seems to me the intent of indie rock artists is to purposely make boring music.
Enjoyed the other album of theirs on this just much more.
- I respect that the album feels grandiose compared to other Indie Rock albums - Fun mix of genres, doesn't play it safe with its sound - That being said, some of the songs fall flat in execution, didn't grab me in any way - Oddly fitting for the time, the album feels like it missed the boat on this specific snapshot of indie rock, but it coincides well with the underlying theme of leaving the suburbs behind"
Zzzzzzz.
Hmmm, one of those ones. I feel there's a really strong 10 or 11 track album lurking within but, for me right now, the overall affect comes off a wee bit MoR and sprawling. Of course, being as smart as they are, this in itself might be a deliberate allegory for suburbanism. Who knows. On another day it probably gets a 4 from me but today it's landing a bit flat
Their other albums on the list were just OK to me. I don't like the unsteady singing on this album very much either and it's about twice as long as it should have been, but otherwise it's good. Favorite song: month of may
Fine. 200s indie at its best, I suppose.
Seemed alright but didn’t listen too strongly
Bits of it were quite good but then there's tracks that make you think those were purely lucky.
Gave Neon Bible a 4, in hindsight should have been a 5. Not making that mistake again.
this won Album of the Year at the Grammys, which seems unthinkable in the current era of monogenre pop and hip hop slop those Awards are currently steeped in. this is a bold artistic statement the likes of which you just don't see as often in the rock music mainstream anymore. but, like with Supertramp yesterday, there's a lot here I should love, yet somehow I don't find myself getting sucked into this album's (admittedly very strong) songs and overall conceptual angle. I, too, grew up in the American suburbs, and relate very strongly to the feelings of alienation and desire for something "more" that many of this album's best songs capture quite well! one thing holding me back from full-on enjoyment here is that, across this tracklist, I'm mostly reminded of the artists Arcade Fire are obviously drawing their inspiration from, and part of me feels like I'd rather just listen to them instead. you've got folkloric heroes like Neil Young and Tom Petty, stadium stalwarts like U2 and Springsteen, maybe even some of AF's own indie contemporaries like M83 and Sufjan Stevens. obviously we all have to be inspired by something, but I'm not sure if I get anything out of this album that I couldn't already get somewhere else. beyond that, while these are some grand, sweeping songs (the string arrangements from Owen Pallett are especially noteworthy) that are often pretty earworm-y, something about the way they're presented feels like there's something being held back from me. I wish these mixes were a little more enveloping; I wish the performances went for a little more blood; I wish there were a few more surprises on the songwriting end. as it stands, this is pretty standard stadium indie fare; if you're into that sort of thing, you'll get more than your fill here. but at 16 tracks and over an hour in duration, it's a bit of a hard sell for me. light 6/10.
Man its so weird, mentally I feel like I know this album but I dont recognize any of these songs. Its alright, it has that recognizable indie sound a lot of late 2000's bands had. I liked Suburban War quite a bit, but the rest is okay.
Are you a Millenial in your 30s who grew up in the city? Then this album is for YOU! I completely missed this one when it came out but it was an enjoyable listen! I get while it was so popular
I love the title song, good to hear the rest of the album.
While I have heard of the band I have never listened to them and now i know why. The music isn't bad but at the same time its not something that appeals to me at all. Slow pop rythms that almost put me to sleep by the second song. Not bad but not for me.
Fine, might actually like it more on a relisten
Not a huge fan. Rococo is when the album got less bad. The whole nostalgic sad-boy themes didn't do it for me. Sprawl II was decent, but that's about it. The best songs featured the female vocals. Not sure what else to say. Not the worst, but not great either. Anyways, that's my review!
Wasted Hours is right.. this one feels hours long.. It's not that they don't have anything valid to say, or don't sound sonically interesting at times... it's just that this shit is boring, bloated, and pretentious.
What an absolute pleasant surprise. This album did an excellent job of conveying suburbia nostalgia and melancholy in a way that was relatable but not cringeworthy. Lots of fun an interesting songs throughout, but I do feel like it could have been better with fewer songs since the middle does drag a bit. Overall a very enjoyable and engaging listen. Top tracks: The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Wasted Hours, We Used to Wait
best of its genre
It's Arcade Fire
Give me driving bass, soaring harmonies, and dispairingly depressing lyics any day plz
Not as good as Neon Bible. The title track is memorable, the rest was ok.
Pretty decent as a coming of age esque album. 2.5/5.
Good in 2010. Aged
I would give it a negative if I could
5 out of 5. This one has been in my collection for years now and it's solid.
Just like the suburbs this album is too expansive, dull, monotonous, full of angst, and not worth returning to.
Another newish band I've got into recently. It takes me a while to catch-up. Offbeat and Oddball band with kookie hits. A good listen.
Good album. Didn't expect that this would be such a good record! Total Banger.
In one ear and out of the other
I was and am an arcade fire fan and i had this album but they had fallen out of rotation. I feel this maybe their most consistent album but it does lack a single, stand out track. Always enjoyed their energy but this has good production as well.
A very safe album from a band that could do so much more with their sound
A French Canadian indie rock band. Huh. I went into this album with very little knowledge of Arcade Fire, having only heard a few radio singles over the years. I found this album to not be unenjoyable to listen to. Sonically it’s pretty standard indie fare, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. My biggest gripe with this album is that Modest Mouse already exists, and makes far more interesting music. A lot of the vocal styles almost channel Justin Haywards work with the Moody Blues, which is in fact a huge compliment to the not actually Canadian, and apparently sex pest, Win Butler. The title track is worth another listen, but aside from that I think most of this almost is generally forgettable. Not bad, but not groundbreaking by any means. I’d give it 2.5 stars if I could, but unfortunately we live in a world where I can only dream of half stars.
My impression of Arcade Fire is pretty much entirely formed around “Keep the Car Running” and “No Cars Go”, both songs I like from a previous album. The title of this album gives me pause because the suburbs make me queasy and there’s a lot of art about the banality of suburban life and how hard it is that I just don’t like. But I’m putting all that aside for 64 minutes! On the title track, there’s a lot I want to like here, but it feels a bit long for how little it varies from beginning to end. An underwhelming but not a bad start. Unfortunately the first 10 songs all continue on this way. It’s not unpleasant but everything kinda sounds the same for almost 45 minutes. “Wasted Hours” and “Deep Blue” finally offer a little variation — I’m not sure if I actually like these tracks more than the other before them or if I was just happy to get a different sound. I like “We Used to Wait” as well… but I don’t love it. I also like “Sprawl” parts I and II. Overall, the last third of this album is definitely my favorite part. Setting aside the fact that the first ~45 minutes all sound the same and this 64 minute album could’ve just as easily been 34 minutes, it’s… fine. Indie rock of this era isn’t really my thing, but there are other bands of the time and genre that I like a lot more. I can see why people love this though, I guess. Meh/10
This album came out just as I graduated college and moved into the suburbs. It defined that part of my life.
Started off pretty meh, but kinda grew on me by the end.
Solid. Some good songs in there. Overall sounded pretty safe and nothing really grabbed me. Good though.
I really did not care for this album. Honestly this gave me very similar vibes to that Coldplay album we listened to a few days ago. I listened to it one time through and it just didn't really hit right at any point and I was pretty over it about halfway through. Im hoping other Arcade Fire albums are on here because I have heard great things about them over the years. I could see why people liked it, but again same with Coldplay. Just not my cup of tea I think.
I saw another review that said all music in 2008-2012 sounded just like this and boy were they right. Certain songs really tickled that nostalgia part of my brain, I cannot lie. I remember being in high school and having several friends love Arcade Fire at the time, and I remember looking them up and listening to a few songs then coming away with a very "meh" impression. I can genuinely say I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would based on my initial impression several years ago (and there are songs by Arcade Fire not on this album that I enjoy now as an adult that I didn't care for as a teen). That said, I didn't feel this album was a home run - it really falls off for me after the beginning even if I do find myself tapping and nodding my head along even after the first few songs. I think overall this album is pretty average for me - I could see myself being happy listening to this in the background while I clean or do chores, but it isn't something I'd sit down to dedicate time to in the future.
Unfortunately, just like "Neon Bible," I found this album very boring and "one note." I was hopeful when listening to the first two songs on "The Suburbs," as they had an almost alt-country feel and a bounce to them. However, after those, the rest of the album continued in just one block of sound that I found very unappealing and dull to listen to. Neither the vocals or music ever surprises me or seems to have any dynamics to "wake me up."
Nowhere near the level of Funeral, but better than Neon Bible.
I like Arcade Fire but this one doesn’t quite get there for me. Would do 3 1/2 if we had half stars.
Nothing amazing
Dreamy, poppy
OK- didn't bother me!
Just a bunch of sad nothingness.
The Suburbs is the third album from Arcade Fire, which met with near-universal critical acclaim, and world-wide commercial success. Among many other accolades, the album won the Grammy for album of the year. The Suburbs is a "letter from the suburbs," as Win Butler said, comprised of a number of stories from his childhood. The band makes up-beat, guitar and synthesizer based, alt-rock, with an earnestness that Win Butler's vocals match. These songs about Butler's childhood have a feeling of a nostalgic longing, told through beautiful, melodic songs.
Really good vibes all around - really enjoyed!
The era feels like a weird spot where I wasn't listening to at least the swath of bands like this that hit it big. Kings of Leon, Alt J, etc. At first I was feeling it overall, some good tracks, but the album then just kept going. This album feels every minute of its length. I don't hear where it really pushed any particular thing sonically either. This is a miss for me personally.
I've never listened to Arcade Fire before; I really liked this album. The songs all sounded very similar, but that built up on the theme of alienation and dislocation from living in the Sprawl. Having the mix of make and female voices helped too.
One of the top 20 albums ever.
It really feels like they didn't know what modern albums to add to the list so they just closed their eyes and threw darts randomly
This is a really good album that I used to think was better but I haven't like Arcade Fire as much recently. Anyway, this album still stands up as being worthwhile.
I like Arcade Fire and was expecting to love this. But after the first song (which is fantastic), the rest were sort of meh
Not as good as the other Arcade Fire Album from three albums ago, it started strong and ended strong, but I lost one star in the middle of the album and didn't ever find it again.
I didn't recognize as many of these songs as I did off Neon Bible which we had last week. But it was still very enjoyable all the way through.
Looks like I had categorized Arcade Fire as a whole other band forever ago. I was extremely surprised to hear them, and really enjoyed him voice and certain lyrics I was able to catch. Will be giving Arcade Fire more listens now!
A great and anthemic sounding indie album with great orchestrations.
yeah arcade fire is just really good
Dull. Could be fine as background music. Lead singer's voice is sleep inducing. Only song that was decent was Sprawl II, and that had a different lead singer. Best song: Sprawl II
mid 2/5
This album just doesn’t grab me. The songs are well crafted, solid arrangements with some interesting uses of orchestration for an indie rock/pop band, some thoughtful lyrics, honestly a pretty well designed and out-together album. Despite that, there’s nothing that really excites me or is particularly memorable to me. It’s fine to listen to, it just leaves no impression on me.
Not my taste
I know this one! I know this one well. Arcade Fire was one of those bands I listened to at a time when I was ripe. So malleable. I even remember watching the music video for 'The Suburbs' and not fully understanding what was capturing me, but it was. What was it? Aimlessness. Wasted time, but of course, when you're a kid, it's not wasted at all. Freedom. Alienation. Neighborhood. They did 100% well about 50% of the album. I thought, coming back to this album, probably over a decade after it first took me, I'd discover 3-4 new tracks that resonated. But, it was the same 3-4 (suburbs, deep blue, half light) that resonated. "Wasted Days" stands the only new track I really took to. The minor landscape with these solemn, but intense guitar riffs just perfectly capture life for a lot of kids growing up in middle class suburbs. The album has some edge that is perfect for 13-14 year olds, but similar to my review of Figure 8, a lot of the other tracks just blend together in a generic sort of indie-pop way that didn't resonate. This album will always mean so much to me. Favorite track: The Suburbs (obv)
Very good, very long album! Can't believe this was 2010, not a band I was familiar with going back that far! 9 tracks added to the 1001 Experience Playlist
eh
Is it as good as Funeral? No. Is it still a five? Yes.
I was introduced to Arcade Fire by my sons. They are okay.
fun to listen to in the car, on a long drive. long songs that really suck you in.
Boring
I think this is AF at their best. I still have my tour tee. This set the bar for indie music in the 2010s.
4+ Stars (12/15)
It's ... fine, I suppose. It isn't that it is all very samey, but there is just nothing distinctive about any track on this. You could play me anything from it and it would be like hearing it for the first time again. Beige music.
The best AF album in my opinion. Feels like they got the formula right after the previous 2 concept albums. The narrative, both lyrically and sonically, holds together pretty well. I found my mind drifting in and out in the middle of the album but there’s definitely more good than boring.
4.7
Just a very very boring album that goes nowhere and does nothing. We used to wait is probably the best song on the album
Very melancholic but upbeat. Shame about the singer.
Really flows as an album and some stand out songs had albums half the length feel longer than this one.
Some really great songs- Suburbs and Ready to Start. Probably closer to 3.5 stars for me.
Having already listened to some of their songs including the opening track to this album, I had high hopes. Pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed. Some personal highlights: Modern Man Wasted hours Deep blue Each song was enjoyable but as a whole, it was an experience. The transitions and story told made it even more worth it listening to the entire album.
This is good shit
I have really mixed feelings about this album. It's supposed to be one of if not the best album by Arcade Fire. It won them the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2010 or 2011 whenever it was. Everyone raves about this album. I just couldn't get behind it. I didn't not like it, like I still enjoyed listening to it and there were definitely songs I enjoyed but I don't get the hype around it. Maybe I'm just an uneducated cockraoch for not agreeing that this is a mindblowingly good album but so be it. Favourites were Empty Room and Month of May. Could not name another song if I tried
First record great. This record was overwrought and trying way too hard to be deep and it comes off flat and pretentious.
Hard time deciding where to rate this.. I enjoyed it quite a bit but no tracks really jumped out at me as being amazing, but liked some aspects in each song. 3.5/5 but since u have other Arcade Fire songs in my rotation I’ll give them the benefit and round up
They’re talented
Second album of this band. First one was absolute crap and gave it 1 star. Surprisingly this album is really great and well produced flows perfectly. Lots of great musical influence heard in this songs. Gotta say I now dont hate this band.
Impressive start, Suburbs has been one of my favorites for a while. Ready to Start is also really good. Also strangely really liked Month of May on first listen. Nice ending as well.
"Who the fuck is Arcade Fire?" ...was the trending topic the night The Suburbs defeated the likes of Eminem and Katy Perry for album of the Year back in 2011, event which closed the Indie era of music and consecrated the band commercially. The suburbs is an ode to the millennial coming of age and a beautiful recognition of the shared experience of a generation, even if you were not from Canada or Texas, it is quite universal in its topics and feels. I had already finished college by the time it came out and was in the process of getting my degree and finding my first job, so the nostalgia in this hit me hard, even more when thinking about their ride from 2004 niche triumph to their explosion in 2010, it was like we had all made it. All the songs of this album, which at the time, I still downloaded illegally from Limewire like all my music back then, all have a deep shared meaning for many of us, it may have weak links like modern man or month of May, and it may also be very long, but it is a brilliant album, a total evolution in their music from their previous (brilliant as well) albums: The title song is beautiful and full of purpose, Half Light I is so evocative and heartful, Deep Blue so ad hoc with the closing titles of the movie "Boyhood", Culture War so prophetic (even if it’s not in the normal album)… But the true timeless piece of the album is, (and I think this is quite unanimous) Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains). It is just gloriously beautiful, even the name is quite gigantic, it says it all about the alienation and the terrible and insatiable urban sprawl and how we all tried to survive it in our youth and will try to survive the rest of our lives. 15 years later I can safely say, it’s one of the best songs I’ve heard in my entire life, and live, it is just something else. How is it that this album is now out of the current list? That’s just crazy but this list keeps disappointing.
Emotional and dramatic but less so than Funeral. They went for a subdued, more mature sound in this one. Although the lyrics seems to be about apocalypse, loss of innocence among other heavy themes, the tone of the album feels rebelliously hopeful. Not a big fan of Win Butler's boomer voice. Also there are many fillers, so the one hour isn't that great an experience. Anyways, it rocks and has emotion. So that's fine with me. Liked: The Suburbs (absolutely gorgeous), Suburban War, Wasted Hours, Sprawl II .
Individually the songs are okay. It's only when listened to all the way through that the full banality becomes clear.
It's airy fairy. It's alright. gonna be honest i got bored and skipped the last 4-5 songs. Id probably listen again at somepoint.
It was fine, but no songs stood out.
J'le trouve bien sympa ce band. En plus de venir de chez nous, ils transpose bien la mélancolie en musique sans tomber dans le chignage et le nihilisme si bien présent dans bien des albums downbeat de ce générateur
I just find them boring, not much else to say. Mopey but not in a fun way.
Phenomenal. Loved the transitions
Pretty boring and bland but easy listening
Like very much
2nd half of album much stronger than the first. Redeemed it.
This is a solid album. I love the sound, I love the vibe, I love the songwriting, this is my definition of a solid album. Its not life-changing but I really liked it. It reminds me of stuff by The War on Drugs and Tame Impala's earlier work like Innerspeaker or Lonerism. I will be checking out more of Arcade Fire because I thoroughly enjoyed this album.
Favs: The Suburbs, Half Light I, Sprawl II Least Fav: Half Light II
Solid album, maybe a bit too long.
i love the over-arching urban apocalyptic theme and the subtle anti-car centrism. this is what i thought montenegro would look like before i got there. rococo is one of my favourites, i also really like sprawl I, yippee
I always liked their hits but never gave the albums a chance. This album is super good, no bad songs
Never really listened to them before. Sounds ok.
This is a decent album, but compared to Arcade Fire's previous two offerings, it's pretty weak. The only songs I'd really care to hear again are The Suburbs, Empty Room and Sprawl II. The other songs fail to grab my attention and lack the bombast I'm used to from Arcade Fire.
Arcade Fire er hljómsveit sem ég hef oft og mörgum sinnum hlustað á í útvarpi og hugsað með mér að ég þurfi að hlusta á plötu frá þeim en svo alltaf gleymt. Þetta var þess vegna kærkomin plata og hún mun vera spiluð aftur. Núna gleymi ég þeim ekki. Framúrskarandi
This has some fire on it for sure. Kind of weird concept for an album but Arcade Fire does their thing and squeezes as much content from the concept as possible, while teetering on the edge between fantastic and pretentious
i remember really liking this album in the past. but this go around it didn’t really hit. the first song is fucking magic tho
Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.
Thought this one was very listenable. Nothing sticks out at me—it’s the weekend and I listened on Friday—but it was one I enjoyed all the way through.
I listened to the album twice… and I can take it or leave it. There are obvious notes of other bands which caught my ear (Pink Floyd, David Bowie, but otherwise it all kinda flowed together as a single track. I could put this on in the background when company is over and that’s probably it.
Vamos cerrando agosto y hoy toca otro de Arcade Fire. Con éste disco entré a ésta banda, puntualmente con "Rococo", y me enamoré perdidamente en la época en que uno se enamora de todo: la adolescencia y la juventud. Álbum lleno de temazos, es imposible elegir uno y cometer la imprudencia de dejar el resto de lado. Inevitable conectar también con mi primera novia, nuestro disfrute de su música y luego verlos en vivo. Todo muy bien.
Don't think this one's as strong as 'Neon Bible', but still find it very solid. The titular track is an absolute banger, and even though I didn't feel any that the rest of the album stood close to it, it was a nice listen through and through.
Ambient, a good cruising album. Would definitely recommend in road trips when you’re driving, it’s not shocking or unusual but it is different in the form of ambience.
own
Very nice album!
Whiny. Which is interesting, because if you say it a little oddly, that could sound like "wo ai ni", which is 'I love you'. Which makes no sense, because there is nothing to love here.
Their 2nd best album and 2nd best album of 2010
Instantly into it after the first 5 seconds. Good vibes. First song was really good and the rest were just ok - maybe I got too hyped after the start that I was let down in the end? A lot of the songs kind of blended into one and I couldn’t really say when one began or ended for a lot of them
This was hard to get through
Overall a good album with a mix of electronic and strum/singalong. Mostly upbeat with a melancholy undertone throughout. Surprised it won a Grammy. It’s not THAT great.
Arcade fire always a band on my fringe, never think about them till I hear them and I enjoy the listen every time.
i've only heard their first album, Funeral, and it seems like they've traded the strange experimentation for consistency. every track is the same level of okay, and for that its definitely more boring than their first for me. still alright though, I've heard way worse albums on this site
Hey, their sound is actually pretty catchy. "Suburban War" has a nice teenage-angst epic quality.
It's a genre I like and it's fine, it's a 3 or 4 for listenability. But there's not a single memorable song and once it's over it vanishes, that brings it down to a 2.
Not too shabby. I liked it in terms of never heard the entire album so it was a pleasant turn. Kinda like living in a suburb
Not as bad, as the other releases from them
really liked this vibe. ill definitely listen to this again, especially "sprawl ii." the energy level was exactly where i like it. also, the suburbs are a particular interest of mine lol
Definitely heard "The Suburbs" before, I like it I like this "Ready to Start", wanna pay more attention to the lyrics (desert duo/life series vibes perhaps?) I like Modern Man too, definitely feels like a 4/5 album so far. I've been liking all the songs but not quite enough for that 5/5 Rococo is a fun word "When I'm by myself I can be myself and my life is coming but I don't know when" - Empty Room. Ouch. City With No Children - I've arbitrarily decided this is about Edward Elric Half Life I - you could make an animatic about werewolves outta this Half Life II - yeah this one too halfway mark Month of May - if i was more familiar with homestuck i think this would be soooo homestuck. love the beat. maybe I'm just tired (it is currently 10:02) but this back half is not interesting me quite as much, even tho it is still good I know this album is literally called "The Suburbs" but man are so many of these about "the city" and stuff aaaand that's it! good night folks
Already a fan of this album. It admittedly lulls a little in the middle, but has a strong start and finish. Sprawl II is an immaculate song.
Definitely takes me back. Used to be one of my favourite albums - too bad the singer turned out to be a dirtbag.
Montreal's best rock, despite the protestations of the Quebec government. ;-)
I really love Arcade Fire. I have such a soft spot for their genre and style. The powerful, overlapping instrumentals with incredible vocal work and amazing lyrics is something to be admired. But for some reason this album didn’t hit as hard as their debut, Funeral. Maybe it’s the length. Maybe it’s the lack of anything really new. It just doesn’t really work as an album. I love a bunch of the songs on here and cherish them deeply, but it just does not fulfill the same album astonishment as other projects have, and for that it gets a 4.
I think I'd need to listen again to truly appreciate.
Inte så pjåkigt faktiskt.
Good, but a little too "indie" for me.
More yawn indie rock. I don’t hate it but pure background music for me
Notable tracks: Ready to Start, Empty Room, Suburban War, We Used To Wait, Sprawl I (Flatland), The Suburbs
Liked it a little more than I thought I would. One track reminded me a little of Radiohead (though I like Radiohead way more), and then YouTube automatically went to Radiohead after this album.
Somehow boring, should be my type but it just doesnt move me⅖
Nothing stuck in my mind after a day but I remember enjoying it enough while in the U-Bahn. It’s all very similar but comforting in a way, not everything has to be groundbreaking. That’s what this album is to me, neat and some serious vibe with some good songs, nothing groundbreaking though. Kind of background music to your life. I can see myself listening again.
Meh.
Da e jo bra på ein måte, bare ikkje nåke eg får lyst til å inkludera i listene mine
Et par høydepunkter, men ganske ujevnt
A frustrating album. High highs but also an awful lot of filler. Give this an editor and it could be a 4.
For some reason, this has a cozier vibe than their pervious albums, which makes sense given the concept. Still, Arcade Fire continue their perfect streak, although I do admit there is a fair amout of nostalgia at play here for me. Key tracks: The Suburbs Ready to Start We Used to Wait Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Nostalgic; beautiful; lyrically wit. Just an escapism album from one of the best bands of the 2000s.
Really solid album. Some really great tracks and a cohesiveness that gains it points. Not sure it is quite on the 5 side of a 4.5 but it is close.
Not been an Arcade Fire fan before, but this one blew me away. I think part of that corresponds to growing up in the American suburbs at this time. The concept hit me in the chest and the sprawling narrative kept me all the way through. There is a lot here, but the story is real and the songs are constructed in a way that make this a true masterpiece. Saved songs: - the Suburbs - Empty Room - city with No Children - Suburban War - deep blue - We Used to Wait - Sprawl II
A fun enough album, nothing to write home about, so yeah
Never gave Arcade Fire a chance before this listen. Brilliant stuff - a nice mix of light rock, electronic elements and interesting subject matters, as a man of the suburbs too. Favourite songs: The Suburbs Ready to Start Half Light I Half Light II (No Celebration) Suburban War Wasted Hours We Used to Wait Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) Think I'll definitely be returing to this. 4.3 stars
3.5/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I had written off Arcade Fire a long time ago. I started hearing about them when Neon Bible came out. I think they were on SNL and at one point I got the Neon Bible cd from the library and listened to it. At the time I did not care for it. So I figured this band was just not for me. Cut to today and The Suburbs is my album of the day. I wasn’t all that excited to be honest, but I’m glad I gave it a fair shake. This album is really good, way better than I expected. I will definitely be returning to this one in the future.
I missed out on Arcade Fire when they were big and yet the music still takes me back to early 2010s, which I find confusing but in a positive way. Really enjoyed this one, great concept and execution. I'm a very sentimental person and just love to reminisce about the past, times and the places you can't really go back to because there's no one there anymore.
Was OK listening
I'm pleasantly surprised - it's an interesting sound and the concept is not bad, although it doesn't feel like something that you need to pay extreme attention to it. Makes good running music
While I liked this more than Neon Bible, I still think this album suffers from being too long, too generic at it's low points and not ambitious enough. I was in high school when this band was in their prime. I might have a change of heart in the next couple of decades, but this was less of a blast from the past and more of an experience I can't wait to move on from. Still, gotta give credit where credit is due, there are a couple of jams on this album, just not enough to justify the 1hr+ runtime.
Even though the title track is the only standout song of the album, I was enjoyed by the album. Nice surprise. Haven't heard much Arcade Fire before now. 4/5
Eh. Okay then
Not bad
Very good! Very very good!
Light 4/5, lots of great moments
Woah another Arcade Fire!! Oh first song in and I already fuck with it. This is kind of a long album but I do like it. “City With No Children” has a good sound to it, too.
..
Man if I'd heard this when I was really into alternative rock in high school it would've been my entire personality.
I never heard of them but I like the sound.
For all the indie rock, early 2000s albums I have consumed, Arcade Fire never really captured me the way Sufjan or Vampire Weekend did. Not sure why. This album is really enjoyable and plays well with suburban decay... but like - Bo Burnham did it better on INSIDE.
Okay this actually slaps. Took me a little bit to warm up to it. I think each song on its own is not a banger, but, as a cohesive body of work this album is great.
Sure, whatever
Rococo is fabulous! Some of the others rather poor or maybe too poppy for me
It was ok, felt dragged out in a few places. It was still good.
While it's not my favourite Arcade Fire album I definitely respect and enjoy this entry in their catalogue. Some nice songs in here and an overall really nice tone but I think it's a little bloated, probs didn't need 16 songs but that's just me. Fav songs: - The Suburbs - Ready to Start - Modern Man - Sprawl II
Fuck this shit!
I think Arcade Fire's reputation has suffered in recent years, but their first two albums are still classics and seeing them play Intervention live is still a strong memory for me. I don't think this album belongs on this list, but I still like it.
This was pretty good. I find the blend of rock and electronic to be good and captivating to me. Pleasantly suprised
“Oh my god what is that horrible song they’re singing” is a great self reflection. “I feel like I’m living in a city with no children in it; a garden left for a ruin by a millionaire inside of a private prison” is one of the worst sentences and maybe the most tortured metaphor I’ve ever heard. “The Sprawl” is like if Radioheads “exit music for a film” was run through a Christian content guard website and was also shit. The music is good enough. The fast songs are just how many downstrokes on a guitar can you do. The slow songs are teenage poetry put to odd time signatures (which is at least better than regular time signatures) or something that sounds like a modern military march. It’s simple but gets the job done. I did like the post-rock style buildup in “The Suburban War”; made me want to listen to more of that though rather than the rest of this. I can see why they’re successful; the music matches the moods of the songs and it’s got a groove most of the time. The lyrics and the singing really throw me off though. They really ruin the whole thing. Ultimately if I’m going to listen to this kind of rock I’ll probably put on The Strokes, and lyrically I’m probably just a shitty old man that doesn’t get it.
It for me. 1
Yeah, this is pretty good. Every song is pretty solid but I still kind of feel like I want more from them. Other commenters are correct that it is just kind of boring after a while. Sprawl II is one of the greats though. 7/10 (3.5/5)
Pretty indie rock
Stopped. Not bad but not feeling it
discreto dai molto anni 00
Meh
Fine
I never cared about this band. I still don’t, but I recognize that this is still pretty decent. 3.5/5
I started out not caring about this but I felt like it fell into a great groove starting with “Month of May.” I ended up liking this a lot and would give it another listen.
Was perfect for a rainy morning