There are great albums and there are masterpieces. The only difference between the two is that a masterpiece, while being equally solid from top to bottom, possesses an ethereal quality about it, as if the album is alive and has its own distinct personality. The Suburbs is a masterpiece for that very reason. Every track is solid on its own merit, but it's when the album is taken as a whole that it comes to life. There is no standout track; set aside an hour and absorb it in its entirety.… Expand

Arcade Fire's third album is a little different to their previous two. On first listen, it appears that the crescendos and walls of sound we've come to expect have mostly been faded out to be replaced by more space and an unhurried saunter through the places the Butler's grew up in. None of this is bad; the band as tight and melodies as gorgeous as ever. Two tracks highlight the band's fondness for new sounds. The first, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) goes into electro territory, Regine's vocals perfectly complimenting the mirrorball soundtrack. The second, Month Of May takes things in the direction of straight ahead punk rock but is no less stirring than when the church organs are ramped up to 11. These are sounds I hope we will be hearing more of in the future. For now though, this is a very modern blend of folk rock and synth pop which should open the door to wider popularity. Best of the homely gems for my money is City With No Children. It quickly achieves lift-off the same way as Rebellion or No Cars Go do on previous albums. And then back down to earth... but never for long. It's this pattern of peaks and troughs that run throughout the album; a collection of stunningly played songs put together with some thought. One reason to press an album on to plastic, and then play it from beginning to end.… Expand

Not in the ballpark of Funeral, though they do work to recreate that sparer sound, largely dropping the bombast from the trying-too-hard Neon Bible. They certainly have pushed their early The Cure influences to the forefront. It starts fairly strong - The Suburbs (and its album-closing revisit) is solid and Ready to Start is certainly the highlight of the album - but the majority of the tracks that follow fall rather flat. Modern Man fulfills the E-Street comparisons they've garnered for a while and is pretty dire, lyrically. The hipster-bashing Rococo is a fire and a miss, attacking a strawman target, and even worse, is annoying. Empty Room is short and pretty, but disappears quickly into the hand-clappy and dull City With No Children and the Beach House-y Half Light I. The tempo, and quality, picks back up briefly with the the second part, Half Light II, which wouldn't sound out of place on Achtung Baby. Month of May serves as a merciful change of pace, a little bit poppy post-punk, but it's still remarkably slight. After that, the album pretty much disappears into an unmemorable haze until it hits the two-part The Sprawl - the first half, Flatland, is pretty great and is the only thing that sounds like a genuine moment on the record. Too bad then it's followed up with the ABBA-esque second half, Mountains Beyond Mountains, with the most eye-rolling put-upon-artist lyrics in an album already filled with them: "They heard me singing and they told me to stop / quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock." Sadly, the album frequently delves into pitting the narrator against a phantom 'Them' or 'They' which is a really juvenile antagonist, it's vague, paranoid, and uninformed. If the band's hook is a world-weary adult's look back at the decline of childhood innocence, the lazy intangible of 'they' undermines anything learned from it. The repeated focus on being children and having children (riding bikes, running through the yard, learning to drive, etc.) and on placing them both in a nostalgic 1982 Steven Spielberg neighborhood ultimately doesn't cover any ground that the far superior Funeral didn't, and the lack of that record's energy, pathos and lyrical acumen make this seem largely redundant, and clearly lesser. I get that's the Arcade Fire's shtick, and perhaps it's not fair to always hold a band up to their earlier high-water mark, but the band themselves are so insistent on revisiting those same themes that the comparison is all but inevitable. There's a point where the romanticizing of childhood wonder falls away to a creepy Peter Pan refusal to accept growing up. Ultimately, a pretty solid disappointment, especially coming after the just-ok Neon Bible, and it leaves you with a feeling of a fizzled band that couldn't top their early flash of inspiration - a story arc not dissimilar to The Strokes. It's not awful, by any means, but it's uninspired and frequently just dull. There are so many directions that Arcade Fire could have taken their sound and achieved something compelling - I'm thinking of Nick Drake's Bryter Layter, Nick Cave's From Her to Eternity, Folklore, an orchestral take on Liars' Drum's Not Dead - anything but a less-engaging, overlong rehash of the album they made their name on.… Expand

A complete work of art, an entire concept album that works. Incredible. Amazing. Sprawl II is the dance hit of the decade (once it's remixed to be harder).

Three extraordinary albums in a row. This band does not repeat itself. With each album Arcade Fire breathes new life into contemporary music. I think this album is as every bit good as the previous two . . . and that's saying something.

Album of the year. Builds on the first two albums to find a slightly more accessible sound than Neon Bible. In that respect it reminds me of how "Dear Science" fits into TVOTR's catalogue, or "In Rainbows".

I only had a passing knowledge of Arcade Fire until very recently. I saw them perform 2 songs on The Daily Show and decided to purchase this album. Only been listening for a few days now, but I'm impressed.

I've listened to all three Arcade Fire albums extensively and I can safely say The Suburbs is my favorite: it nails its theme of the contrast between the suburb's "dead shopping malls" and the deep, nostalgic memories of carefree childhood. In the end, you only have the memories of the places you actually lived, not where you wanted to be. The way in which the album weaves these two ideas is very compelling and it presents a powerful picture of living in the suburbs as a child. I haven't been able to listen to anything else the last few days, the whole album is riveting and continues to draw me in.… Expand

Win Butlers vocal performances may come into question at time (and don't get me wrong, I think his voice is brilliant) but there is no doubting his ability to write relatable and touching lyrics. Not as rawly artist as Funeral but solid song writing still remains. A few songs could probably be axed from this album because personally there are some songs that (whilst I enjoy) aren't at the level of other tracks around them. Don't feel the need to compare this to Funeral or Neon Bible because what Arcade Fire have done yet again is create a stand alone album that has it's unique sound and concept. An absolute must listen to anyone who enjoys modern indie/alternative music.… Expand

I have to believe that all the favorable reviews of the album are more a sign of the overall mediocre output from the entire music industry. The songs are just average and the music is nothing to get excited about. Few people will play this album a year from now.

These guys are getting better every album. I was inspired to buy this album on Amazon.com for $3.99 after watching the live concert on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ArcadeFireVEVO

This is a very solid effort;Arcade Fire's sound keeps evolving and this album proves it. My two favorites right now are Sprawl 2 & Half Light I. The former is poppy and sugary-sweet, while the latter is hypnotic and trippy.

This is a decent album, however it is not in the ballpark, league or universe of Funeral (their debut) and Neon Bible was pretty darn good too. It's hard to see them reach the highest of highs and to wait years for their next and then get something that's just decent.

Arcade Fire are definitely maturing and expanding their sound, and those who say that they can never top 'Funeral' might want to give their subsequent albums a more careful listen.

This is an excellent release from a band that continues to build a strong core repertoire of songs. Clearly a departure from darker subject material of previous album releases, and a little more folk sounding as well. Really dig the brief foray into the 80's synth-pop sound a la Sprawl II and wish there was a bit more of it!

Neon Bible did a curious thing to Arcade Fire. It made them popular. Sure, it wasnâ

I cannot stop listening to this. I thought after a lot of listening for a week that I was getting tired of it, but I found myself coming back to it and finding new things to appreciate about the songs. For me they all are get better over time. It is different than their other records, but still them. It is serious, but not heavy. The various influences are obvious to hear, but only in an additive way that makes the music better. There is a lot of variety, but it is all Arcade Fire. If you are looking for the rhythmic intensity and highs of their past two, you will find it - and a lot more. It's kind of hard to describe what makes it so good. I think in the end that is one of the keys to it being really good.… Expand

This is honesty the best album i have ever heard, it has some soft songs and some more rock songs that hit the ball out of the park, no one will be disappointed with this album.

Great album. One of the year's best. It seems somewhat conventional at first listen, but I was immediately compelled to go back and revisit it in its entirety. It is a deeply felt album about the uneasy passage from youth to adulthood and the fears and anxieties that go along with the transition. It also flat out rocks. What more can you ask for?

This might be the best Arcade Fire album yet. That's everything you need to know. 16 songs long, this album is sure to have at least ten songs worth soaking in for a long time to come.

One morning a few years ago as a journalist with a part-time gig as a music reviewer, Funeral arrived on my desk. I knew little about Arcade Fire, save some glowing, perhaps over-enthusiastic reviews I'd read on the internet. The release of Funeral coincided with the worst year of my life; my marriage had failed, I hardly ever saw my kids. There was no joy anywhere. I half suspected one of my peers had given me the cd to review as a joke.
A cliche perhaps, but Funeral became the soundtrack to my life. I recall saying in a newspaper column that the album was the best album of the new millennium from the most promising band I'd heard in years. It changed my life in ways no record had before, save perhaps The Soft Bulletin.
I can admire Neon Bible. A masterpiece of restrained power. I'd liken it to Arcade Fire's The Bends. But it didn't move me.
Being a traditionalist, I'd waited for The Suburbs to arrive in my local store on vinyl rather than picking up the cd on release day. For three days now, I've played nothing else. I've cried. I've felt tingles up my spine. I've searched the internet for airfares to the next live show.
In short, thank you Arcade Fire. The world is a better place thanks to you.… Expand

I don't think I'm quite feeling the brilliance of this album the way most seem to be. It's a pretty solid effort for sure but to me that's it. The band seemed to be stretching and testing themselves far more on their previous 2 albums, which were both outstanding. Their toning down on The Suburbs has lessened the impact of course, making this album more of a grower, but after several listens I still find myself zoning out and forgetting it's on. For me the stand out track is undoubtedly 'Sprawl II', as this seems to be the song where their sounds actually mutates into something new and interesting. I may be in the minority but I think Arcade Fire have played it safe with this album, and that's not just because the songs are less grand. Where's the sparkling invention of tracks like Une Année Sans Lumière and Crown of Love, where the songs change pace and rhythm on a whim. On the first two albums I didn't know what to expect from one track to the next. With The Suburbs, at times its quite difficult distinguishing one song from the next, with none of them rivalling their best work… Expand

I was not totally convinced when I first heard this album but it has grown on me tremendously and it has been the only music I have listened to for weeks! This album comprehensively confirms Arcade Fire as one of the best bands of the 21st century (if they were not due that accolade already)

This album further cements Arcade Fire as the most important and best band of the millenium. There are many standout tracks on the album but listening to it in its entirety is the way to go because the whole exceeds the sum of its parts. Great work!!

MorganK you make me laugh. Your comparisons and analogies are hilariously wannabe amateur critic. You clearly listened to it with a preset agenda, a pencil and paper ready to jot down what band the songs sound most sound like on first impression. Your suggestions as to which direction that they should have taken the album.... please..... hey i would have loved it if they made it sound like a cross between ok computer, merriweather post pavilion and veckatimest but damn them... they didn't. Instead they sounded like arcade fire. Not funeral. Not neon bible. An arcade fire album. A really good one.… Expand

Sin duda alguna una obra maestra. Consultado al director de la revista: " Ushi in the park", el Sr. Loben de Pi coincide en que la soledad del Deheso, conlleva a vivir en suburbios.

Para mi, un ten points!

That's it? Funeral had 5 or 6 great songs, Neon Bible had maybe 3 good ones but mostly yawns. The Suburbs has no memorable song after the pretty good opener. At least 2 Canadian bands have produced better records this year: Broken Social Scene and the New Pornographers.

In response to the guy who made the ridiculous comment about "Funeral having 5 or 6 good songs, Neon Bible having 3, and this one having 0." First of all, if you really think Funeral and Neon Bible only had that many good songs, you are an idiot. Also, you have no right to review Arcade Fire if you are going to do so by judging their songs. They aren't a single band, it's an album band. Good Album, up there with Neon Bible, not quite Funeral.… Expand

Arcade Fire just might be the second most overrated and pretentious band around today (the top spot would have to go to Animal Collective). Every song on The Suburbs is bland and lacking in even the smallest amount of entertainment. Funeral had it's bareable moments, but their last two releases prove that music nowadays has been cheapened to lazy and boring melodies. It makes me shudder to think great indie bands go unnoticed while the lame ones seem to thrive.… Expand

A true masterpiece from a great band. When I first heard it a was amazed how something could sound so perfect, so pure, so original. For me it is not the best. The best album they made is Neon Bible, but this album is not far from the previous. An album where every song speaks for itself, but then again it doesn't. When such great songs are merged into one album that album can easily become one of the best albums of the 21 century.… Expand

A masterpiece, a staggering work of genius. Arcade Fire capture the ennui of the 21st Century more than any other artist, yet uplift the listener, giving more and more with each rotation. An album that gives, and continues giving and a band to devote your life to.

I've often wondered what song I'd want to be listening to if I were on an airplane that was going to crash. I now know that song would be "We Used to Wait" from this, Arcade Fire's finest album to date "The Suburbs". But what I'm not afraid of is dying, what I'm afraid of is dying before the crescendo of the song hits.

The Suburbs feels like a mixture between their first two studio records and the result is....near flawless.

This another amazing release from the best indie band of the past decade. They capture the boredom, restlessness, and miniature triumphs and tragedies of growing up in suburbia in songs that alternately soar above, rage against, nostalgically remember, and perhaps even celebrate, suburban life. Maybe the theme is not as universal as on their first two albums, but the music is more confident and inventive. Destined to become a classic.… Expand

On par with Funeral and may grow to be better with age. A bitter, but hopeful meditation on "living in sprawl, dead shopping malls". A great modern epic. Get this now.

If you like lifeless mediocre dad rock, this will likely be your album of the year.

What an incredibly band! Their music serves as the soundtrack to my life in the 21st C. This new album has been on replay for the past day and is only interrupted by occasional listens to the first two albums-. Most bands are lucky to create one great song. This band has created three masterpiece albums!

Worst album of the catalogue. Too long for what it actually contains. None of the good sing-along moments from the first two albums. Rococo was my favorite track.

An incredible album from this Canadian band. Multiple genres are represented in this sweeping epic but it's rock at it's best when combined.

Pure Genius! This album blows me away every time! I was brought to tears by the second song my first listen.

This one rates somewhere in between Funeral and Neon Bible for me. Win's 'crankiness' is what keeps me [from] rating this one a 10. Uh, the album is too long . . . 150 characters for a review, really?

After seeing them on the Daily Show, i was amazed by what i heard. Anyone in their right minds would love this album. In any means, a pure masterpiece.

Masterpieces. The best album of the year. Third album and third masterpiece. Arcade Fire confirms will be the best band actually. Amazing. Songs like Rococo and Mountains Beyoond Mountains are the best. Classic! Fantastic!

An explosion of nostalgic feelings since the first track, wonderful, probably in my top ten of the year. I love when the new bands make new music and even if sounds old, it looks original.

In the age in which music critique expects itself to be art (what a sucky age!), that is, in the age in which NO BAND can be more pretentious than the purply assessments of them that attempt to turn thumbs up/thumbs down into a poem, Arcade Fire seem to be criticized for going for the spiritual jugular too brazenly and with too much feigned earnestness. Fine, those critiques are probably right. But the music on The Suburbs is really, really good. And, if you don't like the way it tries to make you feel, then you probably are just emotionally masking the fact that you don't have the spiritual depth to recognize when you are experiencing something "real" (whatever we mean by that word) in the first place. In other words, you're a subject of the times just like the rest of us and a perfect victim for Arcade Fire's music. Funeral was a more perfect album, but The Suburbs might end up being a better one. The fact that we turn our frustration at our own emotional stuntedness into a bitter judgment upon anything that reminds us of that stuntedness should not stop us from listening to fine, soaring-with-chains rock-n-roll.… Expand

I would have made it a ten if they'd skipped Sprawl I (Flatland). I doubt I'll ever get better than tolerating that track. It's actually a bit surprising that they put it on there. The rest makes up a true gem of an album.

I have debated for a while whether this album should be a 9 or a 10. As it is it's probably a 9, but take 4 or 5 songs out and make it an average length album and it becomes a 10. Do you downgrade an album because it has a few too many songs on it? In the end I decided that regardless it's still a 10, as I would rate this a 9.5, which rounds up to 10. If it's in the best 5% of albums then it should be a 10, and despite some misgivings, this album still is in the top 5% of albums in my opinion. It is though for me a lesser album than Neon Bible (9.7) and the inimitable Funeral (9.9), but that's hardly harsh criticsm. I love the more intense songs, such as Suburban War and Rococo, but I could have happily lost the likes of City With No Children & Wasted Hours. Those songs though would still be the highlights of many lesser bands catalogues. Overall, 3 out of 3 classics for Arcade Fire confirm them as one of the greatest bands of our generation (if not THE greatest band).… Expand

Much better than Neon Bible. The Suburbs is an album that already feels like it has lasting value after only 5 full spins. This truly is the bands second masterpiece.

If you listen to the album in its entirety, without skipping over tracks or stopping, you might just understand how great this work of art is. Forget about breaking it down and analyzing each song, just press play and away you'll go.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have no words, I'm not even gonna try. Simply an amazing album. Love it.… Expand

I'm on my 20th listen or so. I never get tired of it. The first couple of listens, I thought this was damn good. But more and more it is revealing itself to be a masterpiece. 'Sprawl II' is perhaps my fav Arcade Fire song, but to pick favourites among these tracks is not important as the album exists as an almost seamless whole. I expect the years will be very kind to this album, much kinder than Neon Bible which, in my opinion, is over-rated. Well worth the 3 year wait.… Expand

Giving this album a score of a 10 is a must in my records. The first listen had me driving around town for an hour or so, even though I really had nowhere to go. After a few more listens, there are songs that I do skip, but that does not mean I dislike the skipped songs. With 16 tracks, this album is great for different moods you experience day in and day out. Buy it. Recommend it. Do whatever it takes to make people discover The Arcade Fire.… Expand

Amazing to see the progression of what may be the the best band on the planet. The Suburbs succeeds in allowing each member of this plus sized band to illustrate their talents in what comes together as a beautiful melodic masterpiece.

I was certainly a little apprehensive about "The Suburbs" the first few times I heard leaked songs before the album release. Like many die-hard Arcade Fire fans, I always compare everything to their glorious freshman attempt, "Funeral", and worried that like "Neon Bible", this one might fall a little flat. However, after listening to the album in its entirety a few times, it became clear that this is the band at their best. Melodically, lyrically, and conceptually, "The Suburbs" is absolutely unrivaled. This is a work of art. (My favorite tracks include Suburban War, We Used to Wait, and Sprawl II).… Expand

Let's begin with this... its not Funeral, dont expect it to be Funeral, if you havent heard Funeral because of some magic spell that was cast on u for the past 6 or 7 years then go buy that. Now that you are somewhat familiar with The Arcade Fire you will know that its not as good. I am a fan of the Arcade Fire, and there is a lot of good songs on the album, particularly the first 4 and a few of the last ones. It is well done, but there is something on this album that Funeral and Neon Bible didn't have.... filler songs. The middle is boring and i just skip over it. In fact I might take 5 or 6 songs off my ipod and pretend the album is only 9 or 10 songs (which is a hell of a lot more than most bands could get in a career). If it was only 10 songs, then it would have been amazing, but they went for the big, not gigantic (like Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness which was 28 songs of brilliance) masterpiece, that fell a little short… Expand

Beautifully unique album. Arcade Fire is now a solid 3-for-3, with Neon Bible being a (tiny bit of a) letdown. Debut record Funeral was hard to follow, but rather than try to improve on it, the band have managed to put out another album that gives the listener the same feeling and emotion without any repetition.

great album. 4 stars from me

After this album, Arcade Fire are now one of my top bands that I love listening to. While Neon Bible was a slight step down from the masterpiece that is Funeral, Arcade Fire should take this as their stepping stone of improvement and damn right they took that step with such an amazing sense of accomplishment. The Suburb's sound is polished from Neon Bible but it recaptured the sorrow and sense of danger Funeral had. Across 16 songs, The Suburbs shows no hindrance or signs of weakness with catchy yet haunting melodies, endearing and thoughtful lyrics and a compelling concept about life in suburbia. Arcade Fire, you are the best.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The third record of the Arcade Fire could not be better.
This pack of songs is superb. Owners of a sound
unique among his contemporaries, these Montreal group are the
more interesting that has happened to indie rock on
recent years. Always lovers of atmospheric strings and good arrangements, get immersed sensations
on affordable formats. Deep without being
complex, their stories are always interesting. Rock
capital letters and that manages to combine popular
with a well-designed art. Amazing.… Expand

This album starts off great, with what I think is their best song "Ready to Start", but just deteriorates. After "Suburban War" it just feels lazy and a waste of potential, but I gave it this because if i just got an album from 1 to 9 I would be satisfied. Warning, not nearly as good a package as the funeral.

It's a shame I can't give this album an 11 because it deserves it. I loved the majority of Funeral and some of Neon Bible but every second of this new album culminates into their masterpiece. This is definitely the best album of 2010 and since most of this year is in the books I don't see it being challenged. I grew up in a massive, sprawling suburb in So. Cal and understood and experienced most of the themes on this album. It simultaneously reminded me of the way I felt back in the day and how I feel about it all now. Truly amazing.… Expand

Okay, so the Butlers did grow up in America. Their Canadian heritage is smoke screen, but to be forgiven, as how else would have Win met Rene. The albums chills the soul when Rene is allowed to use her warbling soprano to tell us of our societal woes. "Rococo's" ever higher spiral of power chording ends too soon. The Sprawl I&II makes a tear come from the eye corner. David Bowie is still tapping his foot to the beat skip that drives "Modern Man".
If you are a fan of Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac.... do not miss "The Suburbs"
Has any Indie Rock band actually held the #1 in album sales position before? It was only for a week as Disney spoiled it with another "Bieber " release.… Expand

I enjoyed the album, but it'd certainly did not strike me. Nor did I find any individual song as powerful as on Arcade's previous albums.

Sound way too generic at this point, I don't want to say mainstream yet but they probably should consider not making any more albums because it shows that the magic that created the first two albums simply isn't there anymore and this is a band I don't want to end up hating.

The third arcade fire album is a very good one. It's full of great songs and really enjoyable melodies. Unfortunately the album is 16 songs and an hour long, and the group could have left off around 3-5 songs off and would have made an excellent album.

I wasn't into Arcade Fire before listening to this album, i just kept hearing the hype and thought I might as well check it out. I could say whole-heartidly, that I was not dissapointed. Emotionaly, it's there, Songwriting, it's there, hooks, they're there too, just listen to the title track and tell me the chorus "sometimes I can't belive it, I'm moving past the feeling" isn't catchy, but what makes it great is it'll tug at yoor emotional strings, unless your cold-hearted. I Guess what I'm saying, is at least give ti a listen, if you don't become a fan, you'd at least respect the album to som degree.… Expand

I quite enjoy the overall sound of the album. Alas, the hooks are not strong enough to keep me interested. Maybe I'll come back to it, but for now, it's Deerhunter and No Age...

Its album of the year for a reason. The Suburbs is a masterpiece from start to finish. Easily the best work that Arcade Fire has ever put out and it shows just how much change the band has went through since their debut album. I would highly suggest you listen to this.

An absolutely gorgeus album and deserves your full attention. Sounds like they have been experimenting with their sound and makes me wonder, what's next?

I've thought Arcade Fire was a mixed bag - sounding great at times, mediocre and overpopulated other times. The Suburbs does have that "every other song is great" (really great) feel to it, but the filler is much better here than in Neon Bible. I also think this album is better than Funeral, which is saying a lot. Songs are well-crafted and well-produced, dare I say a bit dark at times. If you are from the suburbs and grew up on classic rock, I'd say you are in for a modern treat. Makes my top 5 for the year. Rewards repeated listens.… Expand

The Suburbs accomplishes not only being a modern masterpiece, but also changing it to not sound so much like its predecessor's. It starts out with The Suburbs and that's just a great tune to start off the album with. Then another great song is Ready To Start right after it. Month Of May is hands down the most rock oriented Arcade Fire song they've ever made. It's just brilliant. All In All, The Suburbs is Arcade Fire's best album.… Expand

I just can't believe that this The Suburbs is the album of the year! This is SIMPLE CRAP! So long, so bored, i want my 64 minutes and 7 seconds of my life back!

This is easily among the best albums my ears have had the privilege to hear. Even months after its initial release I still find myself listening to it again and again. The song Suburban War is my personal favorite. This album convinced me to catch their live show in Vancouver, and it was one of the best concerts I've attended. A great album, with great songs, by a great band who put on a great live show. No complaints.… Expand

The Suburbs is such a layered, complex piece of music that one can hear it over and over and still be amazed by its incredible depth. It's got a passionate nostalgia running through it that's totally uncommon, and the songs blend brilliantly and makes it into an entire piece. Arguably the best album of the 21st century.

This is a great album! Every song paints a picture in my head while listening and there is a well balanced theme to all the songs. I feel like this is their best album to date and a wonderful album!

The album definitely has it's high points but when listening to it, the overall slow, dull pace of it seems to kill the CD. Sometimes it's entirely possible to forget you're listening to music because it just gets drowned out after a bit.

'The Suburbs' is the third LP to be released by the indie rockers Arcade Fire. The album is about growing up , living, loving, hating, losing, and remembering the suburban town of Woodlands, Texas just outside of Houston. Most people know Arcade Fire because of their sensational debut album 'Funeral', which is without a doubt one of the best releases in a while. Their second release, 'Neon Bible', while by no means a failure, far from it in fact, was no where near the level of the first. I am glad to report that 'The Suburbs', unlike 'Neon', is near the level of 'Funeral'. This album made it official, Arcade Fire is not just one of those bands that puts out one great record, they have depth. The album opens with a piano driven recollection of younger life, an anthem for anyone who has lived in a suburban area. It is followed by song after song continuing the story, all indirectly connected, as if each song is a letter being sent to someone. The music gives a great feel of always being on the move, being sent from place to place, always having somewhere to be just far enough away to make an ordeal. There is also an element of impending war within the album, I do not think this is meant literally, but as someone who lived a real suburban life, I somehow get the feeling. It is more about the division between those who feel they deserve everything and those who feel they deserve nothing, a cold war of sorts. The album jumps around, flashes of stories here and there. The music drives the words perfectly, it gives the feel that the music was written for the words and not the other way around, which is a great thing. Arcade Fire may be better than anyone else at this, it is the strongest point about any of their albums and unlike other strategies bands use, this one never gets old. The highlights of the album from a musical aspect are great in number, but I will single out 'Ready to Start' and 'Half Light II'. 'Ready to Start' is driven by guitar and 'Half Light II' is driven by consistent beat, these two songs show how well the band was able to maintain strong variety through the album without sacrificing its power. It is hard to come up with a concept album without being repetitive, and 'The Suburbs' is certainly not that. I am from the suburbs of Houston, Texas so I can tell you how true this album is. I have lived through the friendships growing and being destroyed, the laughing and the crying, the wanting to make something of yourself, and it is all told so well in this album. Win Butler may not be poetic in his songs, but living in the suburbs is far from poetic, you live in some neighborhood full of spoiled white kids that don't know how good they have it, and also don't know how bad they may end up having it if they don't realize what they can lose. So the Suburbs is about honesty, because honesty is life and death in there, and this album is honest, as honest as they come.… Expand

Arcade Fire has come out with their best yet with The Suburbs. From the first track in which Win Butler sings about wantings children to talking about the changes of the city e grew up in the album is an emotionally charged complex work. Each track keeps the album moving forward. The Suburbs will be one of those albums we look back at decades from now with fond memories.

Not bad, if it wasn't of the sound quality. One of the most disappointing crap of all the music industry. Audiophiles, beware! Don't pay for it. You will not have more sound quality from the CD than from a 128kbps mp3. I'm serious, but conscious that only few people will notice what I'm talking about... especially those who recorded the album.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Following on from the emotion of Funeral and the menace of Neon Bible, The Suburbs sees The Arcade Fire take another turn in a different direction. Their first two albums were confrontational as is The Suburbs although it may not appear so at first. It looks at modern day life but from many different approaches. A parent observes that the expectation and excitement in "waiting" is gone, "there's something that don't feel right" about living in a daily routine, the horror of leaving a place and returning to find it completely changed and that all the "kids are standing with their arms folded tight" are just a few of the issues raised. A large band means many instruments and could often lead to an overcrowded, overdone sound. Not in the the case of The Arcade Fire. They're all placed brilliantly and contain the feel the band is trying to create perfectly. The Suburbs is passionate, deep and meaningful and creates a confronting scene and something to think hard about.
Best tracks:
The Suburbs
Modern Man
Suburban War
We Used To Wait
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)… Expand

This album is amazing and a refreshing experience to anyone who is willing to listen to some good non-mainstream music. Filter yourselves out, and give this one a try. It is very much worth it! Every song, at least for me, left me with a rich feeling I hadn't felt in a long time. Every song is cleverly written and musical keys are pitch perfect, altogether creating and blending an experience crying to be heard, and played back all over again.… Expand

This is a masterpiece on its own. Listening to it is like seeing the transition of the families from the suburbs to the big cities full of "dead shopping malls". It's totally worth the listen.

I won't say what my favorite tracks because this is supposed to be from beginning to end. It's a story and you shouldn't miss any chapter.

This album just seems to flow perfectly, with each song leading gracefully into the next. Significant favourites from this album are The Suburbs and We Used To Wait.

great. touching. great songwriting. i love it................................................................................ arcadee fire once again give it their best shot. its a great achievement for them.

Some albums have passion, some albums have such consistency you could smother yourself in for days, other albums have such awe inspiring diversity. The Suburbs manages all of these in to a slick, lengthy and consistently thrilling album. Many people might have thought 'Funeral' was a one off masterpiece, The Suburbs follows the trend set by Neon Bible in disproving this. In short, it's the best album you will grace your ears with for quite sometime.… Expand

The third album from Arcade Fire is a unforgettable masterpiece, the record delivers incredible tracks like the title track, "Ready to Start" and "Rococo". The band created this terrific sound that makes this album shine. It makes it more enjoyable for fans to listen to; In other terms, this album is incredible and is a must listen for any Arcade Fire fan or music lovers alike.

Need I go on? It's Arcade Fire. Yes folks Arcade Fire, the 7-piece chamber pop, indie alternative group from Montreal, Quebec have done it again. While their first focused on death and finding light in it, their second on the world around them and the corruption of it all, The Suburbs is about those kids from Funeral, now all grown up, living normal, dull lives in the well...Suburbs. What you see is what you get, a smartly written record that while not as deep or as much of a grower as Funeral of Neon Bible, The Suburbs is a down to earth, approach to mainstream sensibilities that comes across as something you've never heard before, and it's marvelous. The kids from Funeral have now grown up, some going through mid-life crisis, some seeing the new kids living around, others hate the suburbs and want to get out but know that it is inevitable and will never happen. With these story elements around the album presents emotions and moods we've all felt before in teenage depression and moods, and mid-life crisis. Love, anger, joy, hate, depression, bridging the gap to dating, divorce, marriage, suicide, death, and more. Alltogether it is just amazing, and simply a breathtaking listen.
Every single track highlights the suburban life in its pros and cons, and reflects the life they've lived. Another thing the record does so extraordinarly well is that it is over 65 minutes long, and spans 16 tracks, a milestone for an indie record. Arcade Fire's goal was to craft a record that was long and spanning, yet felt like listening to Funeral or any other primitive indie piece, and the result is masterful.
The highlights include We Used to Wait, Suburban War, and the self-titled The Suburbs. All are perfect songs, blending the bands fantastic instrumental work, binding violin harmony and impeccable piano work with drumfire spitting and guitar and bass looming there in the background, all while Win Butler fires the band away delivering beautiful and inspiritational vocals with smart and crafty lyrcism. Overall The Suburbs is a modern masterpiece. The best record so far of 2010, and most definetely the best independent record to come out this year. Every time I fire it up I smile to the melody and harmonies, and intricate instrument work. I can't help but feel in a different time and space whenever I hear their incredible muscianship at work. The Suburbs may not be as intricatly designed as Funeral or Neon Bible, but for being designed as more chamber pop than alternative, it is the most accessible and easygoing Arcade Fire record yet, simply and utterly perfect, and needing many listens to sum up the emotions neccessary for the most positive feedback, thank you again Arcade Fire, for a journey through my subconscious and world. 10/10

Notable Tracks: We Used to Wait, Suburban War, The Suburbs, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), Month of May, Ready to Start, Modern Man.… Expand

Absolutely fantastic; every track deserves to be listened to, explored and experienced in its own right. Arcade Fire go places few modern artists have ventured, and the end result is a beautiful album. It can be catchy, it can be emotional, and it can be rock'n'roll. Well done.

This album is hands-down one of the best albums i've ever heard. Deeply passionate, forceful and moving, it certainly elevates Modern Rock to new heights. From the Upbeat yet dark 1st track, ''The Suburbs'' to the bright and colourful ''Sprawl 2''....this record is a masterpiece. Very few bands in the world can create such beautifully textured music.....having layer over layer of instrumentation. Arcade Fire are, without a doubt , the best band in the world right now, as all their three albums are Flawless creations. Can't wait for the next one!… Expand

Arcade Fire ha triunfado con este gran tercer album, sin lugar a duda muestra un sonido mas maduro y un conjunto de sonidos caracteristicos que hacen de "The Suburbs" una experiencia Pop/Indie destacable, temas veloces y de batarias ruidosas (aun asi bien arregladas) como "Empty Room" o temas mas silencioasos y delicados como "Half Light" y sonidos que van hasta una poderosa balada pop "Half Light II: No Celebration" o toques de guitarras y mas estilo rock "Month Of May", definitivamente los suburbios no defraudan a nadie, ni a propios ni a extraños… Expand

It's a good album and I am happy that these guys beat lady gaga and the rest on the awards but it did disappoint me a little after all the hype. It's a good album but not a masterpiece so have a listen and don't think you've bought XXI century's gold record, you will just like some songs like I like the first two or "Wasted Hours" and hate one or two like I hate "month of may". It's true that it is a new mix of alredy known sounds like Pet shop boys or Neil Young so kudos for that. And as I said on the begining, it's also good to have a rock band beating today's electronics.… Expand

Simplemente uno de los mejores Albums que he escuchado , Arcade fire es un excelente grupo, todos sus albums me han fascinado y este no podia haber sido la excepcion !

The Suburbs cemented this bands reputation as a colossus on the world stage. While elements of this top Funeral, at 16 tracks, it's a bit on the long side for my liking. If it was edited down to 12 or 13 it could have been a 10 out of 10. The band have progressed here and have moved their sound on. One of the best albums of 2010 without a doubt - I would highly recommend.

To be honest, I didnt like it that much the first time around but then I found myself putting the CD in and listening to it over and over again. I relized soon after that this album is album of the year for a reason, Its simply that good.

I liked the album and its definently a more defined sound of Arcade Fire and completely different from their previous albums. Its good to see the band switch it up and still make great music. I liked the album but as a whole, When i think of individual tracks, I start disliking the album. There are only 2 songs on the album that I would listen to constantly, The rest I just ignore really. A key example of the whole being greater then the pieces used to put it together imo.… Expand

My absolute favourite album of all time. I don't even know if I have words to express how much I love it. Every song has such depth and emotion in it, the music glorious and wonderful and heartbreaking and incredible. I will never tire of listening to this album. Ever. This is perfection.

The Suburbs is a superb album. One of the great things about this album is the fact that it has 16 songs on it. This makes it so there is at least one song on this album for everybody. No, not every song is perfect but some are near perfection in my opinion. This album is both musically and lyrically rich. Although this album has progressed some from the classic Arcade Fire feel that was present in both their Arcade Fire EP and Funeral it still holds some of the elements fans are likely to recognize. This album also hosts songs that even people that are not die-hard Arcade Fire fans should enjoy.… Expand

This may be my favorite album ever. Easily one of the best of the decade, The Suburbs delivers a powerful punch, not just in sound, but in lyrics. Hidden deep in the corners of each song lays teaming an amount of meaning rarely seen in modern albums. If one relayed this into movie-terms, it would have the greatest actors, the greatest director, and the greatest story. This is truly an album that won't leave you feeling like you wasted an hour, more like you experienced a time of pure fantasy. This album is almost too good for the time it's in. If you haveb't heard it, you must, because your ears will thank you, and when your grand-kids will ask you if you liked Arcade Fire, you can say at least you've heard them. Arcade Fire has made it 3 for 3, and here's hoping they'll hit 4 for 4 next year.… Expand