Review by Steve MarckThere are very few bands I can say I’ve watched grow from the ends of their roots to the tips of their branches; but with Arcade Fire chronology has had all kinds of adverse effects. The Suburbs plays like a eulogy to their past recordings— it’s sounds reverberate as a celebration and recognition of the band’s own modest origins. The Suburbs’ title track may not give that impression, but it does set an excellent, humble tone that quickly kicks up with the beginning of Ready to Start. Where preceding recordings have bristled with nervous chaotic energy or psychedelically-conscious spirituality, Arcade Fire have brought their heads out of the clouds and straightened their collars in The Suburbs. They are no less driven to make the sounds they’ve been making; if anything their songs are honed and sharpened to a much more elegant point. In many ways, the Arcade Fire that once existed in Funeral has been reincarnated in The Suburbs with a more concentrated and well-earned confidence in their songwriting.
