It takes a village to make a Suburb 4 Out of 5 Stars
Allegedly a song cycle that came together after various band members either visited or heard from the areas they grew up, "The Suburbs" is Arcade Fire's love-hate letter to nostalgia, decay and growth, growing up and the hazy nostalgia of being young in a small town. It's a pretty good series of songs, and more straight-forward than "Neon Bible."
There's also a decidedly folkier edge to the music this time around, especially in the title track and the epic "Sprawl II." However, there are still times when the dense rock that built the band's reputation. The punkish "Ready To Start" may be the most propulsive song AF has ever recorded, and the ever present Springsteen influence reigns over "City With No Children." The blend of songs is pretty incredible, as fairly soon afterward is the poppish lament of "Wasted Hours," reminiscent of The Band, and the most acerbic lyric of the whole album.
"The Suburbs" is a complex and rich album, yet Arcade Fire's most direct. When Wim sadly describes "kids and buses still waiting to be free," it cuts as hard as anything off "Funeral" ever did for me. I may find "Funeral" to remain their best album, but "The Suburbs" is maybe even more universal. One of the year's best.
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