I know there was a mention in the Albums of 2010 thread but this is A Big Freakin Deal. This record could cement them as true legends, an act capable of 'doing a Talking Heads' by pushing deep, intricate, clever music but still being high-selling players, tour seller-outers, in an increasingly mainstream pop-based field. To satisfy both the critical and commercial areas and retain uniqueness in this day and age is no mean feat.

I'm coming up to the end of my first play through. Ladies and gentlemen: The Suburbs is excellent.

I'm finding it to be less of a grower than Funeral or even Neon Bible. I thought it was on somewhat the same level as Funeral on first listen, but after giving Funeral a spin as well I realized it was kind of in between Funeral and Neon Bible. Another spin later and my rating really hasn't changed much since the first time I listened to it. That's not to say it's not good, because it's very good, but I was secretly hoping for a real masterpiece. That, it is not.

Wow. Wow wow wow. Strong record.

Funeral is in my top 10 of the 00s (maybe #11 or #12); Neon Bible top 40/50.

Can't see this being outside my top 5 of the year to be honest. Arcade Fire are such dons at their trade.

I predict somewhere between an 8.9 and 9.3 from Pitchfork as well.

Shame on all those who do not believe this to be a modern classic, for that my children, is what it is.

A solid 9.0 from the 'Fork.

Lol, who cares what the Fork thinks, this isn't 2005 guys.

By the way, the album is nothing special. The lyrics are abysmal.

then you are in for a treat my friend

The album contains, to my ears, no straight up Funeral-style anthems. But the time wizzed by and a number of times I find myself trying to harmonise backing vocals, letting out yelps of excitement and grinning madly. The record could do with a bit of flab being cut off it but it sounds so strong all round.

Springsteenian at times in the chugging, workmanlike approach (but without some of the admittedly overblown pomp on Neon Bible). This is some serious indie rock right here.

Lyrics only matter to me when they're either really good or really bad. Everything in the middle is all the same.

First three ratings for Arcade Fire ´The Suburbs´:

Musik Express : 75
Rock & Folk : 60
Spin : 90

I'm seeing them live on the 1st, and apparently it comes out on the 3rd. Maybe I should try to listen to the leak so I'm not going in blind.

On a tangent, does anyone know why they would make it so there is no ticket, but you can only get in with the credit card that bought the ticket, and everybody in your party must arrive at the same time? Granted it kills scalping but it also kills gift-giving and minors attending without their parents. And other shows at the same venue don't do that.

Same thing happened to me - my friend who's 16 got his mum to buy the ticket, which meant that she along with us had to drive across the city just to present her credit card and drive off again! Ridiculous. And also, the ticket is more like a receipt than a ticket. I keep all my tickets cos they act a bit like a memento, and then you've got this tiny piece of paper. I was a bit annoyed. Once you get into the venue though, it's sure to be great.

I think everyone is looking for an excuse to hate on this album. Its not going to happen. I haven't heard a band this tight since the rolling stones unleashed Exile in Main st. This album deserves to be spoken in the same grace as classics like OK Computer, Joshua Tree, and Nevermind. Its one of the greatest records of our time. Just embrace it.

Dont hate on the lyrics either. Sure its not Dylan or Springsteen. Its the Fucking ARCADE FIRE for Christ sakes. Why do they have to be something they aren't. The lyrics work because they aren't trying to impress. They are trying to pound you into submission with shear repetition and grandiosity.

The Arcade Fire have opened this year wide open. This could be the greatest year for music of all time. Soak it up fellas!

I think it benefits from a longer runtime (63 minutes!) as well, it's lets you really get into the music. I have doubts about starting the album with "The Suburbs", it doesn't seem like a opening song to me (although with "the suburbs continued" as a last track, it has to be first to have that circularity). And I really don't like Rococo. The two parts of Half Light are really good, and thank god! Regine gets herself a couple of songs including the second part of Sprawl, which is excellent.

Better than Funeral? Probably not, although after 3 listens I'm really getting into it. Neon Bible? Definitely.

It still needs a few more spins for me, but I don't think it's as good as either of the two previous albums. Part of the problem is that I think they extended themselves too far and the album didn't need to be this long. And "Month of May" is terrible - I'm rather convinced it's a joke...

And Bill: I'm seeing them on the 1st too. I'm not quite sure how the paperless tickets work either.

This seems like one of the most divisive albums I've ever seen. Some are saying it compares favorably to OK Computer, while others are calling it actual trash.

I'm holding out until the release date; should be exciting.

They reviews might not all be high praise. But I've seen more perfect ratings than any other album this year. The Suburbs will finish very strong in the EOY poll.

An interesting comparison, with proportion of metacritic reviews that are 90 or higher.

Arcade Fire: 8/15
Big Boi: 15/28
Janelle Monae: 14/26

As far as I can tell those are the only ones with over 50%.

Does anyone know where I can hear the leak? I'd like to hear it if possible before the concert on Sunday.

My verdict on "The Suburbs" is that it's great, easily a top 5 album of the year for me. The album is epic in the vein of albums such as the Smashing Pumpkins "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" and Springsteen's "The River". They've changed their sound from the grandiose production of "Neon Bible" to more guitar driven rock with more pop influences, and I think this change is for the better. As for claims that the album has bad lyrics, I give you an excerpt from "Suburban War".

My old friends, I can remember when
You cut your hair, I never saw you again
Now the cities we live in could be distant stars
And I searched for you in every passing car

Tell me that isn't poetic.

Magnificent!

Arcade Fire are good lyricists to me and the verses Nick picked are great, especially when accompanied by the arrangements. To me lyrics are only a huge thing when it comes to singer/songwriters. Have you imagined where Joanna Newsom, Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple or Kate Bush and males like Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and Elton John would be with cheap and banal lyrics? Now i've seen pretty big bands doing big great songs with songs not so... let's say "lyrically interesting or golden poetry".

and they did record "The Suburbs", right? please tell me, it's all been a nightmare so far...

Magnificent!

tell me that isn't poetic..

So, if I understood it well, the new Arcade Fire album isn’t still out officially till next Tuesday. So why do you all seem in such a hurry to listen to it? And moreover, why don’t you give the opportunity of make a living to some musicians you seem to idolize so much? Oh, shit, I’m getting really really old…

When you've been waiting for something for so long, and you get the possibility to get it a week early, it's really hard to resist temptation. I'm pretty sure a lot of those big fans will buy the album when it comes out though.

I'll admit that I won't buy it, but I don't really have any quarrel about downloading it. They're not losing any money to me because I have no money to spend on their music. I've got just enough to money to buy some of my all-time favorite albums/films, and then only when they're on discount.

I'm still waiting to listen until I get my physical copy (which now won't be until Thursday.) I don't know if I will listen to the album first or watch the Madison Square Garden concert on Youtube first.

Quick question.

At the Arcade Fire show tonight, somebody I didn't recognize came up to me as if he knew me. It was during the warmup act, so I couldn't hear a word he was saying, and I just shook his hand and said 'What's up' like I recognized him back. At the time I assumed he was somebody from high school or college. Then I thought, maybe somebody here knew I was going to be there and saw my picture on Facebook or something. ...Anyone? (Or do I have to feel guilty not recognizing someone?)

I've decided I really like this album. Better than Neon Bible, not as good as Funeral.

I'm enjoying the departure from their original sound. It shows that this band is slightly more multifacetted than their first two albums would've lead you to believe.

Really need to catch up on this year in music before I can say what it ranks for the year.

So far favorite tracks include: "The Suburbs", "The Sprawl II" and "We Used to Wait".

Must have been someone from high school or something.

I thought it was great. I didn't end up hearing the leak before I went, but the songs I didn't recognize were very promising. They perform well live, and they've got great visual effects.

Last night my copy of The Suburbs came in through the mail and I listened to it twice. That said, I was extremely unimpressed. I just don't get it.

Funeral is one of the best albums I've ever heard. It's had a huge effect on my music taste, causing me to seek out other great artists like Pixies, Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, and even some of the better bands that were influenced by Arcade Fire themselves. I feel as if everything that made Funeral so great is missing here. On average, I would say Funeral's lyrics were very good. While they didn't use subtlety in expressing their themes, what they did say was poetic, interesting, and varied. Several of the lyrics on this album are laughably bad, and they don't stray from the theme once in the album's 60+ minutes.

I feel a little cheap picking on the lyrics, as I primarily enjoy albums based on the music. What happened? Funeral was full of hooks. Neon Bible, while a bit overblown, also had a ton of memorable songs. Here I can count the songs I enjoyed and find memorable on one hand: The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Empty Room, Suburban War, and Sprawl II are the only ones that stick out for me. 5/16 is not a very good hit rate. I think many of the songs are boring, and are actually a chore to listen to.

Maybe I'm missing something. Can the people who think this album is on an OK Computer-level of greatness help clarify for me why they think this is so? I'm still incredibly excited to see them at Madison Square Garden though. Are any of the AMers going to be there?

The way I see it is that there aren't really any hooky songs. But I don't think that this is that type of album. Since it's a 60 odd minute album, it really gives yo time to get lost in your mind. It's a bit like Loveless and Daydream Nation in that you have to kind of "haze out" (though I hate the phrase, it makes me sound like a stoner), and the songs seem to beautifully merge into one.

That said, there are two songs I really dislike, Rococo (bleugh) and Month Of May.

I think what sticks out to me (from what I've heard of it thus far) is that The Suburbs is dense and poppy at the same time. There's a tiny, tiny set of albums that can do this (Pet Sounds, OK Computer, for example) and based on that I think this album can really become part of "the canon".

SR,

Give the songs some time to grow. I listen to the EP, FUNERAL, AND NEON BIBLE just before spinning THE SUBURBS. Maybe that'll help. Having said that. I would postpone judgement until after the Madison gig. Before I saw AC live at MASSEY HALL, I didnt care much for NEON BIBLE. The live setting brings out the emotions of the song. If your having trouble connecting, then WIN and Co will help you along. Maybe he'll even break through a crowd of thousands just to stand there and sing next to you like I experienced. Its magical. I am very excited for you.

I just heard the new Arcade Fire.

It seems pretty good on the first listen. It seems like the kind of album that needs multiple listens before I figure out what I think about it. There's a lot of good highlights but overall the album seems uneven.

I like their new direction. I don't think they're trying to be more mainstream, I just think they're trying to do something new.

Anyone else watching the live show right now? I'm getting alot of buffering problems.

Just finished watching it. A few buffering delays in the beginning, but after the first few songs it was smooth sailing.

Funny part: the quick break between the first and second attempt at Sprawl II when Win Butler, admitting to a drum machine glitch, exclaims "this is live as shit!"

For the most part, two hours well spent.

Some talking points:

- of the 17 selections, only 3 were from Neon Bible
- Regine's vocals left a bit to be desired
- Jeremy Gara is an underrated drummer
- they must've retired the helmet

And one last thing -- with the release of The Suburbs, Neon Bible seems to be getting retrospectively shit on, a LOT. "Overblown", "claustrophobic", and "bleak" are just a few of the negative adjectives that I've come across in recent reviews, describing the group's second effort. Seems a bit unfair; it was after all, no sophomore slump.

I was really hoping to like this. I've only listened once, but here's my review so far:

Sorry, kids, but this is where I bow out. I'm reviewing this album after one listen, so my opinion very well may change, but the setting of said listen was quite appropriate, so I'll document what I felt. My wife and I put this on while headed to work in Sydney. We live in... wait for it... the suburbs! As anybody can tell you, commuting in Sydney by car isn't exactly pleasant, so putting in a new Arcade Fire album to enliven the journey seemed like a good move. Unfortunately, the long, toiling feeling of the voyage from the suburbs into the city was only compounded by listening to The Suburbs.

Right away, things got dicey, as the title track takes a frightening turn toward honky tonk. A few strings and some added melodrama seemed to assuage my fear slightly, but it was indicative of the experience in the end. Sadly, that unpleasant moment was among the more memorable ones on the album. As each track passed, I kept waiting to be grabbed by the cajones and reminded why I lavished 5 and 4 stars upon their first two albums, respectively, hopeful for some sort of insight into aspects of suburban life painted with a little magic reminiscent of The Wonder Years, but it was not meant to be. Ultimately, very few of these songs resonated even seconds beyond their duration. Perhaps that is part of the style the band aimed at, but I sure miss the hard-hitting hooks that etched themselves so effortlessly onto my inner soundtrack with Funeral and Neon Bible. There just don't seem to be any "oo-oo-oo-oo-ooo-oo" starry moments like "Tunnels" nor any "set my spirit free!" viscerally cathartic ones like "My Body Is a Cage" among others that generously populated those first two albums. And while the band can tick the twee box with The Suburbs courtesy of a few wistful melodies and some string section decoration, these elements merely act as pretty ribbons on Christmas day that promise much more than the mundane pair of underwear or tie contained within.

There are some moments of promise scattered throughout, as much as I can remember. I'm sure that "Ready to Start", "Empty Room" and "Deep Blue" sprang out of the vapid morass while I listened, but they present themselves as mere song titles to me now an hour later. I vaguely recall that "Month of May" showcased some sort of punch as well. And wait! Is that a latent synthesizer threatening to wake me up from the mind-numbing clusterfuck of traffic that WON'T FUCKING MOVE in "We Used to Wait"? Unfortunately, it rather innocuously fizzles back into the background, much like the hints of emotion that bubble then fade beneath the surface without a trace like Coldplay is so adept at doing. Gosh, what a scary comparison that is! But wait! It came back for a good thirty seconds or so to finish the song!

By the time "Sprawl I" chimed in, we were amidst the sprawl of the city and I dropped my wife off, so the rest of the review is for you, Minute Face! That's the nickname I have for my wife when she's sleepy and wants to doze for a few more minutes, and fitting for the morning in question as she threatened to drift off at several points while the album played. Babe, you missed the best track in "Sprawl II", which sees Regine stealing the show as she did with "In the Backseat" and the "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" on the first two albums, this time flirting with the dancefloor with a knowing gaze at synth pop. Unfortunately, that is the only immediate payoff the album offers, and the closing reprise of "The Suburbs" brings things back to a limp whimper. In a rather serendipidous bout of comedy, as Win Butler sings something like "If I could have the wasted time back, I would waste it all again", my cell phone burst to life with "Editions of You" by Roxy Music serving as a ringtone to identify my father-in-law, who was calling to congratulate me on the 5-year anniversary of my engagement (it's been a great 5 years, Gwen!). This is relevant to the review only to illuminate the sharp contrast to the drowsy doldrums of The Suburbs epitomized by that paraphrased lyric about wasting time, as Roxy Music in "Editions of You" were aiming to do anything but waste time with the swaggering sonic onslaught of proto-punk madness. Fracture time? Warp time? Sure, but not waste time! So yes, it turns out that through some spontaneous act of God, my shitty cell phone speakers provided the jolt that I was awaiting throughout the entirety of The Suburbs.

I may end up changing my opinion of this album once I give it another chance. Nevertheless, the fact that I got through the entirety of this album and then some (most of Robyn's Body Talk Pt. 1 too- booyah!) on my morning commute seems to place me firmly in its target audience. If the band sought to capture the tedium of the suburbs, they succeeded mightily here. It isn't downright offensive like Fergie or Ashlee Simpson or Kings of Leon, but this sure feels like a pretty steep step down from their previous work. So here are a decidedly middle-of-the-road 2 and a half stars that seem apropos coming from a worker bee living in the suburbs.

Oh, and just to be clear- I'm not upset that it's not a repeat of Funeral or Neon Bible. I just found it quite boring.

I hear you Anthony. As I recall Neon Bible was one of the most acclaimed albums in a year - 2007 - where there was no short end of excellent releases from a wide array of acts. It was regularly getting top 10 placements in EOY lists and 9/10s upon release so for people to slant it now is silly.

The way I see it:

Funeral - 9.5
Neon Bible - 8
The Suburbs - 8.5

that adds up in my mind to a band that are going down in the ages

I agree with anthony. I dont understand why Neon Bible is getting the shaft lately. It was a terrific album then, and I think "The suburbs" makes it sound even better. I'm a huge big AC fan. I love their sound and urgency. I cant for see a blunder in their future.

This year has been great for critically acclaimed artists coming through in style. If the only slight mis-step is MIA's MAYA (Which was a solid 7, then its safe to say this has been on eof the best years for music in a long long time.

I think Neon Bible is overall a good album, but I think it was far overrated when it came out. It had a few good songs, but it had too much of an 'arena' feel to it. It doesn't have the nuances of the other two.

Neon Bible may not be my favorite album, but it still is far better than The Suburbs in my book.

Neon Bible is still my favorite Arcade Fire album and i know i'm the small minority. I think that i appreciate more Funeral than love it, and i love and appreciate Neon Bible. It's different, it was a step forward i wasn't expecting. I get it why some don't like it and why after The Suburbs some are changing their opinions or calling it the "weak" one, but it remains my favorite. Very ambitious and they delivered it, it is not as accessible as Funeral or The Suburbs, but i remembered a good amount of the melodies and lyrics after the first and second listen, while i needed to come back to listen again to the other two plenty more times until, finally, something aside the first Neighborhood stuck in my head. Neon Bible is unique sonically, an unique album inside an unique discography.

I'm 8 listens in and it's suddenly starting to click, I think I'm in love with the Suburbs (nothing was sticking out for me on the first few listens). As some have already stated, better than Neon Bible (which I still love), not quite up there with Funeral.

I'm not sure which album I like more, Neon Bible or The Suburbs, but I feel far more comfortable with the praise The Suburbs is getting; Neon Bible was praised as a top 10-15 album of the decade when it came out. To me it's more like a top 10 of 2007...In Rainbows, Sound of Silver, The Boxer, Kala, For Emma and a few others rated higher than Neon Bible for me.

The Suburbs is getting good reviews and ratings, but it's getting praised more like a Spoon album than like a Radiohead album. Sure, there's the occasional sticky hyperbole about "the best album out of Canada since The Band's S/T", but as a whole I think The Suburbs is being appropriately received.

I can't really choose between any of their three albums. All very impressive, maybe there is something about Funeral which just puts it into a different stratosphere, but the other two are there or there abouts.

On first listen, I was ready to say that The Suburbs had actually edged out Funeral; I listened to Funeral straight after and almost immediately changed my mind. The sound of The Suburbs isn't as grabbing as Funeral, but they certainly haven't fallen short with it.

With words like "accessible" and even "commercial" being banded around (and with the knowledge that, involving Arcade Fire, this could never equate to selling out) I was kind of hoping this album would hit me straight away and become an all time favourite of mine. I love the title track, and others like "Ready to Start" and "Wasted Hours" have been stand outs for me too. Still, after 3/4 full listens, I haven't quite got the vibes from the album I was hoping for. Maybe I need to give it a few more chances.

In all, I rate each of the three albums as very, very good and even more a great listen. None of them are among my real, real personal favourites but The Suburbs is by no means a disappointment.

You get a pass Moonbeam!

wasnt too impressed first few listens but i do think this album is a heavy grower as all the best albums are.....its better than neon now for me but it wont get near funeral....but i am now pleased it has clicked and i would say to moonbeam...give it a few listens.....its a sleeper....its very very good ....but not great....

It's interesting to see how Funeral's place atop the Arcade Fire's canon is almost undisputed. While I agree that it is their best album, I don't think it is by leaps and bounds.

I think it's high rankings come more from capturing a feeling that resonates with many people than from being an amazing work of music. It's a very good album, but I feel like there are probably about twenty albums or so from the last 10-15 years that blow it away.

Neon Bible on the other hand, gets the short end of the stick for not being Funeral; that's pretty much the only reason I've ever heard people give about not liking Neon Bible....that and listing the number of songs they like on each.

Basically to me beyond Funeral's top 3 songs ("Wake Up", "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Neighborhood #1"), Funeral, Neon Bible and The Suburbs are all at about the same level.