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With Arcade Fire's 'people' stupidly not allowing this album to be released to many journalists before the actual release date next week, we were forced to listen to an online stream, perhaps with slightly poorer fidelity, so hopefully that hasn't impacted on this review too much.
Now, on to business: this is Arcade Fire's third LP, and not so much a concept album as a heavily thematic work focused on the usual things Arcade Fire talk about: family, home, "the kids", all set in, you've guessed it, the suburbs. The most notable thing is that a lot of this doesn't sound very Arcade Fire-y, which is strange for a band that is so recognisable and has spent quite some time perfecting their sound. The song that sounds most like what they've done before is 'Ready To Start', which has a similar rolling build to previous tracks like 'Keep The Car Running' and 'Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)'.
Their trademark embedded melodies are all here, but not centre stage as has been the case in the past. There are no stadium sing-a-longs or purposefully epic structures. This is a slightly more subtle and downcast version of the band, and validates the point that if you keep talking about "the kids", you're probably not one of them, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. So what do we get instead? A rather Steptoe-y intro with the first part of the title track (the record is bookended by a two-part title track, the second half of which is a somewhat inconsequential afterthought that happens to have some beautiful strings, allowing the album to fade out to a satisfying conclusion), a strange dig at "the modern kids" on 'Rococo', a woozy old-fashioned sinister sound on 'Sprawl (Flatland)', and some 1950s poppy rock and roll in 'Suburban War'. There's a certain amount of deflation throughout. Gone is the urgency that the band traded on with such vigour, making their live performances almost spiritual experiences. Tracks like 'Wasted Hours' and 'Deep Blue' are forgettable, while at times the simplicity is misguided and unoriginal ('Month of May' being particularly guilty).
This is a downtempo, claustrophobic but very well-rounded record, which presents rewards upon repeat listening. Arcade Fire are using new sounds, new tempos, but all the while reminding the listener that when they want to burst out of the self-imposed suburban restraints, it comes easy to them.
Download: 'Empty Room', 'Ready To Start'
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