Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire has always seem predestined for greatness, ordained even. They were never "The Next…Radiohead, Springsteen, R.E.M., U2," or anyone else. Arcade Fire is Arcade Fire. There is no question in my mind that they deserve the many accolades piled upon them. They have a unique sound, certainly, and at times they resemble a chamber group impersonating a rock band.

The Suburbs continues Arcade Fire's general sound, organic and flowing, weaving many textures together in a span of seconds. It is an extremely dense record. At the time of this writing, I am on my third listening, and it still sounds completely fresh and new, like I'm hearing it for the first time. It uses a building array of sounds, a mixture always appropriate to underline Win Butler's singing. I find myself gradually increasing the volume while listening, my ears grasping for more and more depth. And I never hit bottom.

The lyrics are what really drive the album, which is a deep mediation on Where Are We Living, How Are We Living There, And What Does It All Mean? An alternative for the album's title could have been Sprawl. This album is not about the concrete sprawl of the suburbs, but also of hipster culture, and perhaps more importantly, the economy and society at large.

Thematically, it is about the mundane, not unlike much Springsteen's output--chiefly The River. And like The River, it does not mix in Born to Run-style escapism to the plight of our young protagonists. The Funeral was about personal loss, of love and friendship, and Neon Bible was about how authority figures were out to screw you. The Suburbs adds the fact that were you live is boring, generic, and self-righteously important (or self-importantly righteous?). But all of Arcade Fire's output does contain the flipside of Bulter's despair: Regine Chassagne's optimism: we're all in this together, and together, we can get through it.

This is a record that requires patience. I'm reminded that this is why I find Depeche Mode and Joy Division hard to crack. I can certainly understand why Arcade Fire might feel somewhat gated to some. I find that Arcade Fire's advantage to me is merely contemporary. There is a lot of brilliance to be had here if you're willing to--and strong enough--to wallow in Butler's curmudgeon crossed outlook to get to the community message.

"Now our lives are changing fast."

Comments

[abercrombie and fitch]

abercrombie and fitch are likely to be made of cheaper materials, and are therefore more prone to chipping and damage. Genuine abercrombie and fitch sale is crafted to a high standard, making this premium jewellery both desirable and practical. With such a huge range of abercrombie available,makes the perfect gift for ladies of any age. If you are a abercrombie and fitch uk collector and you are concerned about being given imitation as gifts, then why not set up a Club account, and create a wish list? abercrombie and fitch uk sale can be found for less when you shop on the Internet. abercrombie sale are now available online for discounted prices. abercrombie uk is one of the most recognized name brands in the world of high fashion. You will find A-list celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Janet Jackson and Nicole Kidman wearing abercrombie & fitch sale. Since it's conception, the burberry outlet has been produced into a variety of designs, colors, shapes, and styles that have won top picks of millions of women the world over. You are sure to find something of your liking when shopping from either a burberry handbags store or outlet for. Many of the listed burberry outlet store found in the main stores or department stores can be found in the outlets, so get out there and start shopping! A great place to shop for gorgeous Burberry Online Sale is online. Shopping online will save you up to 70% on all of the latest cheap burberry outlet store styles. For those of you wanting to save big bucks on your burberry outlet online store, try shopping online. You can find great buys and save on the hottest designer cheap burberry for sale through online auctions.