Arcade Fire – The Suburbs [Streaming]

People are breathlessly awaiting the release of Arcade Fire‘s third full-length album, The Suburbs, which officially drops on August 2/3, 2010. While some fans are patiently counting down the days, I couldn’t wait—I had to hear it.

So far four out of the sixteen tracks have been released in the public.
You just have to wait to hear the rest will sound like.
They are:

• The Suburbs
[audio:https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4791237/01%20The%20Suburbs.mp3]
• Month Of May
[audio:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4791237/02%20Month%20of%20May.mp3]
• Ready To Start
[audio:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4791237/01%20Ready%20to%20Start.mp3]
• We Used To Wait

[audio:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4791237/13%20We%20Used%20To%20Wait.mp3]

Ever since their monumental debut, Funeral (2004), Arcade Fire has carved out a sound and space all their own. They’re more than just a band—they’re an experience, and one you have to see live at least once in your life.

It’s been three years since Neon Bible, and now, with The Suburbs, Arcade Fire has done it again. This is another superb album perfectly timed for the summer of 2010. It leans more into upbeat rock, stepping away from the darker, more brooding tones of their previous release.

In a recent Spin Magazine interview, Win Butler described the album as a mix of Depeche Mode and Neil Young—and that comparison holds up. You can really hear the Neil Young influence in tracks like “The Suburbs,” “Modern Man,” “Wasted Hours,” and “Deep Blue.” Meanwhile, the Depeche Mode vibes are alive in “Half Light II (No Celebration),” “We Used to Wait,” and “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”—the latter being a huge surprise with its infectious 1980s synth-pop feel.

Of course, the signature Arcade Fire orchestral rock sound is still present in songs like “Rococo,” “Empty Room” (with its beautifully chaotic violins), “Suburban War,” and “City With No Children.”

Conceptually, the album seems rich and layered—I’ll need a few more listens to fully unpack it. But one thing’s for sure: The Suburbs is going to be on repeat for me all summer long.

Easily one of my top picks for 2010.

Best tracks (besides the four tracks mentioned):

• Rococo
• Empty Room
• City With No Children
• Half Light I/Half Light I (Celebration)
• Suburban War
• Deep Blue
• Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
• The Suburbs (Continued)

The Suburbs gets: 📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷/10.