The art of the album is ailing, to say the least. Bands used to release albums that reflected one cohesive thought, whether it be a process, theme or person that was present throughout the entire work. But today, albums are merely collections of radio-friendly singles. I used to believe that the true “album” had become hopelessly lost in a fog of commercialism and greed.
That is, until Arcade Fire released The Suburbs. It’s an album I can directly translate back to my life as a suburbanite for 18 years and relocating to the burgeoning city of Chicago for college. I remember when I first heard the album; it was during my senior year as I was struggling with “senioritis.” My brother, seeing I needed a pick-me-up, urged me to listen to Arcade Fire, one of his favorite bands. He gladly allowed me to borrow his vinyl Deluxe edition of The Suburbs, and I allotted myself an hour after dinner to listen to the album in its entirety. At first, it only served as background music as I labored over redundant homework assignments, but it didn’t take long for my attention to be harnessed by the the creativity and originality that makes The Suburbs so powerful.
The album’s opener, aptly titled “The Suburbs,” has a cheery sing-song vibe that epitomizes the childish yearning suburban kids feel for an escape from their mundane lives. Win Butler instantly ropes in listeners with his impeccable descriptions of both the setting and his own emotional state. Even if you haven’t experienced growing up in the suburbs, the carefully crafted lyrics create an undeniable sense of accessibility that appeals to all listeners.
“Ready to Start” seamlessly slides in with its catchy mandolin riff chiming in the near background. The song urges listeners to accept responsibility for themselves and take action to cease any dissatisfaction they’re feeling in their lives. Win declares that he’s “ready to start” despite his litany of possible excuses hampering him from the pursuit of his dreams (“If I was scared…and if I was pure…and if I was yours, but I’m not”). Finally overcoming his fear, Win declares that “my mind is open wide and now I’m ready to start,” ready to embark on a journey to a world outside the confines of cul-de-sacs and white picket fences.
The album continues to illustrate the detachment that technology has created in the youth today (“Modern Man”), and touches tender notes of loneliness (“Empty Room”). A shift from complacency to helplessness is foreshadowed by “Suburban War.” The song describes the Win’s yearning for a companion who has left “home” in the suburbs for bigger and better pursuits, leaving the singer alone. With altogether flawless composition, the song serves as a benchmark for the soon-to be-monumental album.
Easily the album’s most popular single, “We Used to Wait” depicts the choke hold that technology has tightened around all of us and the struggle to make a true human connection in today’s modern times. Win opens with the lines, “I used to write letters, I used to sign my name; I used to sleep at night, before the flashing lights sank deep in my brain,” as he reminisces a much more personal era when technology hadn’t yet harmed the fragile human condition. Under the spell of technology, Win reveals, “I never wrote a letter…never took my true heart, I never wrote it down.” One particular lyric that resonated with me was, “I was lost standing in the wilderness downtown.” The juxtaposition of the words wilderness and downtown provide a black-and-white image for the listener to visualize and furthers their understanding of the stark contrast between our “connections” through technology and the lost art of human contact.
The album closes with “Sprawl I & II”, two ballads that describe the importance of escaping the stresses of everyday life and urge us to live in “sprawl,” far removed from the negativity stemming from today’s materialism. The songs encourage listeners to branch out and chart new paths for themselves separate from any connections to the suburbs, what is safe and familiar. The songs also emphasize the trivialities of consumerism as Regine Chassagne chants in her innocent soprano “quit these pretentious things.”
The Suburbs launched Arcade Fire to international fame with Grammy wins and rave reviews, and with good reason, too. The album describes a lifestyle that a majority of their listeners have experienced and executed a daunting task with artistic integrity and originality. The Suburbs tells a story that often either goes overlooked or is deemed a cliche. Growing up in 21st century suburbia is an unique experience that deserves recognition from the world. Not only did Arcade Fire give this project attention; they transformed an otherwise emotionally turbulent lifestyle into something beautiful.
*****
SHANNON SHREIBAK
FRENCH PRESS 