Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

I'm over a week late with this post and I'm sure there have been countless others on this album, but it needs to be here. I have been in love with Arcade Fire since I first heard Laika in 2004. Funeral was released on my 15th birthday, and I bought it with money I'd received. Six years later and I'm listening to their third album. That's a long time to be enamoured with a band. Maybe not in terms of a lifetime, but, as a twenty year old, they are one of very few who have survived in my heart this long.

My taste improved drastically when I 15: I discovered The Smiths, there's no going back from there. Apart from Arcade Fire, there's only a handful bands I still listen to that pre-date this time. I can only think of The Libertines, Pixies, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

I really think that The Suburbs will need a few more listens before I can know just how great it is. My thoughts at the moment are that it's quite different for Arcade Fire, but it's still one hell of an record. I doubt that anything will touch Funeral for me, that album is just perfect, just absolutely fucking perfect. Ten beauteous songs, each and everyone sending chill ripples through my body. But this is a post about The Suburbs, and The Suburbs is not Funeral, that's important to remember. This is not a life and death album. It's not the work of a band desperate to establish themselves, desperate to be what they know they can.

Somehow, since Neon Bible's release three years ago, Arcade Fire have become colossal by doing hardly anything at all. (How did that happen?) This is the work of a band who have achieved their goals. I think this gives as much as it takes away. The Suburbs doesn't ooze childlike joy with every note, but perhaps that's something that can only happen right at the beginning. I like how the album is flecked with references to itself; this is always a winner with me, I'm obsessed with albums that sound like albums, rather than just a collection of songs.

Also, Win's voice has developed; it's often a lot softer and has a real beauty which few male voices do. I especially like Deep Blue, Rococo and We Used To Wait, while Spawl II recaptures that crude energy that embodied Funeral, although I can't shake the feeling of being reminded of Talking Head's The Road To Nowhere.

I have tickets for me and a friend to see the band in December at Manchester Central, where I had the good fortune to see Morrissey twice in 2006. The last time I saw Arcade Fire I was on the barrier at Manchester Apollo, a 3000 capacity venue, so needless to say this will be quite a different experience.

The Suburbs is available for physical purchase and digital download from www.arcadefire.com