While Radiohead, a reference point in the alternative panorama, release The King of Limbs, a historic short album of only eight tracks, focusing more and more on digitization, computer music, download and purchase of music online, Arcade Fire put together on their third album as many as sixteen tracks, recording on acetate disc before converting everything to digital format, so that the album sounds as close to vinyl as possible.
But being in countertrend rewards them as always and in August 2010 they impose themselves strongly in first place in the American Billboard 200 with The suburbs, and then continue to conquer rankings and criticism even here in Europe.
Although labeled with the "indie rock" stamp, do not expect the classic vocal-guitar-bass-drums formation from this Canadian band. This group of 8 members is more a sort of small orchestra, a definition supported by the presence of strings, harp, French horn and several other "atypical" instruments in the world of pop music, which give a subtle refinement to all their pieces.
In 2004 attracted critical attention to them with their first (highly recommended) album funeral, and then not disappoint anyone with the following NeonBible since 2007.
The ambitious project The suburbs it is a sort of concept album, in which the songs are intertwined in continuous reciprocal references.
The catchy opening track, which gives the album its title, is certainly the most significant, representing a sort of preface in which all the themes that will be pitted and exasperated, removed and resumed during the course of the album are summarized: the evanescent memory of adolescence spent in the suburbs by Win Butler and co., with its urban guerrillas and dreams of glory destined to die out. The essentiality of the 4/4 drums, accompanied by very simple accents on the piano and a distant reverberated almost post-rock guitar, build an indie hit to be hummed. Also noteworthy is the cinematic video clip by Spike Jonze, which serves as an appetizer to the forthcoming short film “Scenes from the suburbs”, also signed by the eccentric American director.
Ready to start, one of the most intense songs and perhaps the real track # 1 as the title suggests, is presented to the listening with a metronomic guitar, which sounds like the cuckoo of a pendulum and leaves us with bated breath for 9 seconds, for then explode together with the other instruments in a wave of pure sound energy. A very present bass line supports what has now become the opening constant of their most recent concerts, which, with its crescendo of dynamics and number of instruments, is ideal for engaging the adrenaline-charged audience.
The easy listening of Modern man, City with no children, Wasted hours they slip away quickly, letting us appreciate the very elegant virtuosity of the violins of Rococo, Empty Room and Half Light I.
Rococo in particular, with its arches that at times we imagine filling the wide spaces of an ancient Gothic cathedral, it has an eighteenth-century flavor as the title itself suggests. A sort of radically revisited chamber music, in which a harpsichord manages to coexist peacefully with a guitar loaded with sharp distortion.
A chorus and a very light tremolo render the arpeggio of Suburban War the right melancholy accompaniment for the moving lyrics in which the themes of change and the past return.
The 3 punk chords of Month of May they come suddenly, almost out of tune, like a punch in the stomach. As always happens in punk after all. But in 4 minutes the piece changes its face slightly, transforming with the entry of the keyboards into something that is closer to the disturbing new wave of Joy Division and Cure.
An ostinato "C minor" on the piano is repeated incessantly for the entire 5 minutes of We used to wait, an agreement that marks the time that slips through our fingers now that "our lives run so fast" ("now our lives are changing fast") and acts as a mantra in the hope that what is pure remains between us ( "Hope that something pure can last"). It is certainly one of the most beautiful pieces and the one that best describes the "poetics" of Arcade Fire: a superb balance between deep reverberations of electric guitars, vibrant bows, distortions, delays, pianos more rhythmic than melodic, synthesizers, voices ... a modern orchestra enriched by the power of the drums.
After the excruciating monotony of Sprawl I (Flatland), in which Butler nostalgically describes a bitter return to the desolation of his neighborhood, the 80s-flavored synth by Sprawl II (Mountains beyond mountains), as well as in Half Light II, gives lightness to one of the most openly critical pieces of a suburb where shopping centers grow like “mountains beyond the mountains”. The crystalline voice of Régine Chassagne, which we have already adored in old songs like In the backseat and is perhaps a little too absent in this third album, sings about how the world is too small to escape the periphery which, more than one place, it is a state of mind.
The album closes as it began, with the reprise of The Suburbs. As credits, a string ensemble worthy of the best soundtrack supports the voices of the protagonists of this story which, gradually fading, leave us already waiting for the next small masterpiece.
Thumbs up for: The suburbs, Ready to start, We used to wait
Thumbs down for: Modern man, City with no children
ARCADE FIRE - The Suburbs
Produced by: Merge (US), Mercury (UK)
TRACKLIST:
1. The suburbs
2. Ready To Start
3. modern man
4. Rococo
5. Empty room
6. City With No Children
7. Half Light I
8. Half Light II (No Celebration)
9. Suburban War
10. Month Of May
11. Wasted Hours
12. Deep Blue
13. We Used To Wait
14. Sprawl I (Flatland)
15. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
16. The Suburbs (continued)
Duration: 64:07
Duration: 74:21 (Deluxe Edition)
All songs are written and composed by Arcade Fire (Sarah Neufeld, Richard Reed Parry, Jeremy Gara, Win Butler, Will Butler, Regine Chassagne & Tim Kingsbury)
While Radiohead, a benchmark for the alternative music scene, released “The King of Limbs”, an historical short album containing just eight tracks, relying more and more on the digital world, at the computer music, at the downloading and buying music on line, Arcade Fire gathered together as many as sixteen tracks for their third album, recording on acetate record before converting it all to digital format, in order to make it sound as a vinyl record as much as possible.
But going against the flow is rewarding for them as usual and in August 2010 they dominated the Billboard 200 top album chart occupying the first position with The suburbs, and keeping on winning critical acclaim and conquering the music charts here in Europe as well.
Though being labeled as “indie rock”, don't expect this Canadian band to be the typical voice-guitar-bass-drums formation. This eight-member group is most likely some sort of a small orchestra, whose definition is reinforced by the presence of strings, harp and French horn and many more “unusual” instruments within the pop music world, giving each track a strain of elegance.
In 2004 they drew the critical attention with the first (highly recommended) album funeral, establishing themselves with the following Neon Bible in 2007The ambitious project by The suburbs is some sort of concept album, in which all tracks intertwine with recurrent mutual references.
The catchy opening track, after which the album is titled, is certainly the most significant, being it representative of some sort of introduction for all the subjects which will be analyzed in depth, dismissed and confirmed again throughout the album: the elusive memory of an adolescence spent at Win Butler's and co., with his urban guerrilla and dreams of glory doomed to vanish. The 4/4 drum-beat essentiality, joined by very light piano stresses and a distant almost-post-rock full-of-reverb guitar, build up an indie hit to hum throughout. Noteworthy too is The Spike Jonze's cinematic video, which works as an appetizer for the forthcoming short film “Scenes from the suburbs”, also by the eccentric director from the US.
Ready to start, one of the most intense track on the album and perhaps the actual track n. 1 as the title itself suggests, introduced by a metronomic guitar which sounds like a cuckoo clock and leaving us holding our breath for 9 seconds just to explode later altogether with other instruments in a pure sound energy wave. A bass line sustains what has become the standard opening for their latest concerts, which, with its dynamic crescendo and the amount of instruments involved, is the best way to captivate the audience's adrenaline rushing.
The easy-listening modern man, City with no children, Wasted hours flow quickly to our ears, letting us enjoy the very fine virtuosities of the violin within Rococo, Empty Room and Half Light I. Mainly Rococo, with its strings which sometimes we imagine them filling any space of an ancient gothic cathedral, has an eighteenth-century flavor as the title itself suggests. Some sort of chamber music revisited throughout, where a harpsichord is able to live peacefully with a distorted sharpness of a guitar.
A chorus and a slightest tremolo make the arpeggio in Suburban War the proper melancholic accompaniment for the moving lyrics about the recurring themes of change and past.
The three chords in Month of May in punk style come suddenly, almost off-key, like a punch in the stomach. After all, it always happens that way when it comes to punk music. But within its 4 minutes the track changes slightly and, with keyboards coming in, it turns into something which is closer to the unsettling new wave by Joy Division and Cure.
An ostinato “C minor” on the piano lasts throughout the five-minute-long We used to wait, a chord which marks the time slipping through our fingers now that “our lives are changing fast” and works like a mantra within the “hope that something pure can last”. Indeed it is one of the most beautiful track on the album and the one that best describes the Arcade Fire's “poetics”: a superb balance among deep reverbs of electric guitars, vibrating bows, distortions, delays, rhythmic piano (rather than melodic), synthesizers, voices…a modern orchestra enriched with the drum strength.
After the Harrowing Flatness of Sprawl I (Flatland), where Butler describes a bitter return to his hometown neighborhood desolation, the 80's-flavored synth in Sprawl II (Mountains beyond mountains), as well as in Half Light II, eases one of the most direct hard-looking track about a suburb where shopping centers pop up like “mountains beyond mountains”. The crystal clear Régine Chassagne's voice, which we already have been adoring for old tracks like In the backseat and which I'm afraid is perhaps less heard on this album, sings about how small the world is to let us escape the suburbs which, rather than a place, it is a state of mind.
The album ends the same way as it began, reprising The Suburbs. As for credits, a string ensemble, worthy of the best soundtrack, carries the protagonists' voices in this story, dying down slowly, and leaving us with much anticipation for the next little masterpiece.
Thumbs up for: The suburbs, Ready to start, We used to wait
Thumbs down for: Modern man, City with no children
ARCADE FIRE - The Suburbs
Produced by: Merge (US), Mercury (UK)
TRACKLIST:
1. The suburbs
2. Ready To Start
3. modern man
4. Rococo
5. Empty room
6. City With No Children
7. Half Light I
8. Half Light II (No Celebration)
9. Suburban War
10. Month Of May
11. Wasted Hours
12. Deep Blue
13. We Used To Wait
14. Sprawl I (Flatland)
15. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
16. The Suburbs (continued)
Running time: 64:07
Running time: 74:21 (Deluxe Edition)
All songs written and composed by Arcade Fire (Sarah Neufeld, Richard Reed Parry, Jeremy Gara, Win Butler, Will Butler, Regine Chassagne & Tim Kingsbury)
Italian to English translation: Humbert of the Judge
