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Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire, Suburbs

Review by Jack Foley

IndieLondon Rating: 4 out of 5

MUCH has been written about the third coming of Arcade Fire since the unanimous chorus of approval that greeted their career-defining sophomore LP, Neon Bible, which became something of a benchmark for comparison for countless bands with AF wannabe pretensions.

Now that The Suburbs has appeared, it seems to suggest that the band themselves have decided to put the big themes on hold for a while, and concentrate on a more laidback approach to their classic rock routine.

Yes, the epic nature of their song-writing and layered approach to their instrumentation can still be found in abundance, but there’s a breezier tone on some of the songs which is, admittedly, welcome.

Frontman Will Butler seems to have lightened up a little, too… delivering songs with a greater mix of vocals that broaden its appeal, while maintaining the mysticism that surrounds some of their material.

Hence, while some have been inclined to dismiss The Suburbs for going off the boil slightly, it still – to my mind – provides compelling proof as to why so many contemporaries aspire to a richness of sound comparable to Arcade Fire. It’s an album to best be appreciated as a whole, rather than broken down into pieces, and one that rewards repeat listens.

The lighter tendencies are apparent from the outset, albeit married to trademark elements. Opening title track The Suburbs may take a little over five minutes to unfold, but it’s breezily delivered amid laidback acoustic guitar grooves, tinkling piano chords and, belatedly, some sweeping strings. They still sound epic, but perhaps less seriously so.

Ready To Start then follows with a rousing, fuller bodied guitar entry and some vaguely ‘80s leaning synth shots, as well as a psychedelic set of vocals that hint at the foreboding of earlier work.

The real clue to Arcade Fire’s lighter tone, however, comes in moments such as Modern Man, which while still heavy thematically, drops some of the most laidback grooves on the LP and is a rather sumptuous listen – epic in length, yes, but just a really good listen.

Rococo brings back the weightier themes along with some energising synth stabs and a chugging guitar riff that’s highly effective in creating a sense of atmosphere, while Empty Room unfolds in breakneck fashion (and clocks in at just over three minutes) to jettison Arcade Fire into almost Passion Pit style territory. It’s kind of euphoric, supplemented in no small part by Régine Chassagne’s vocals.

Elsewhere, there’s an unashamedly drive-time rock vibe attached to the rousing, guitar-fuelled City With No Children, lead single We Used To Wait mixes classic rock elements with a head-rush kind of radio-friendly appeal, and Wasted Hours has another lazy central riff that drifts over you in lush fashion, lightening the sombre tone inherent in the lyrics.

Admittedly, the album requires a certain amount of patience at times (especially given that it clocks in at over an hour!), while the epic scope is underlined by several tracks that are broken down into two parts (really?). And some songs, such as The Sprawl, invite accusations of lofty pretentiousness.

But in the main The Suburbs ticks all the right boxes for Arcade Fire fans as well as boasting a potentially wider appeal. It is the sound of a band that continues to progress, which benefits from a lighter touch too. It’s a welcome return.

Download picks: The Suburbs, Modern Man, Ready To Start, We Used To Wait, Wasted Hours, City With no Children

Track listing:

  1. The Suburbs
  2. Ready To Start
  3. Modern Man
  4. Rococo
  5. Empty Room
  6. City With No Children
  7. Half Light I
  8. Half Light II (No Celebration)
  9. Suburban War
  10. Month of May
  11. Wasted Hours
  12. Deep Blue
  13. We Used to Wait
  14. Sprawl I (Flatland)
  15. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
  16. The Suburbs (Continued)