brilliant piece of work. the running time is a bit long and the concept is slightly hazy but many of the tunes are winners though some seem to be obligatory album-fillers (sprawl 1, deep blue). obviously this album may have been blown out of the water a bit by critics upon it's release (it is nowhere NEAR as good as OK computer) but that's not taking anything away from what a brilliant effort this record is, the songs can be haunting and raw (the sunburbs, ready to start, the suburbs continued) but can suddenly become catchy pop-rock tunes (modern man, month of may, sprawl II) certainly give this album a go, it took me a while to grasp it but it is well worth the effort and will surely be included in the top albums of the 2010's come the end of the decade.
best songs: the suburbs, ready to start, half light I, sprawl II

Slightly overproduced, but a nice clear conceptual theme throughout and many gems hidden inside there.

A fantastic set of songs, especially for its length. A couple of weak spots, just like the previous two. Certainly a contender for their best album and Sprawl II is a contender for their best song.

A good album that completely fails to speak to me in any way, shape, or form. There are some great tunes on here, though.

Great album. Second best of the decade so far.

A great collection of songs, but it runs just a bit too long. Ever since it's release, I've thought of it as Arcade Fire's "Sandinista"

Well this album is a "Sprawl" isn't it? Around 16 tracks long and holding up no where at all. While some are less spectacular, they are like steps onto the more fertile ground. The planks which make the bridge, stepping further afield. 'Empty Room' is a vivid recalling of memory, strapped to the one thousand mile per speed of silk flung with envy, 'The Suburbs' is adult fears put to nursery rhymes and the brilliant blue bell which holds the album together. See.... it is the every day wonders, the every day miracles which are at the heart of this album. It's an old photograph album put to audio and this is no beautifully and more amazingly than on the track 'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)'. Formulaic? Derivative? Pop Sensibilities? Nevermind those labels! Do away with the words because this song... in the context it's placed in, shines to crystallized hopes and dreams of the young girl who wants to grow wings and fly away. I want to stay with this album a while, I believe it has much more to say.

Excellent ablum. But think Neon Bible is much better. 16 songs too long as well. Defo not the best of the 2010's for me but very good.

This album is art at its purest. The title-track is an anthem.

This is an amazing work of art and will stand the test of time in my opinion. I had first heard of Arcade Fire when the Rolling Stone's list of top songs of 2003 came out and heard Wake Up. It was a pretty good song but they seemed a little too out of left field for my liking. Didn't really look into them more. Then a couple years ago, I was listening to the indie station on Sirius and heard multiple Arcade Fire songs and remembered them from a few years prior and I remember thinking wow, this is more to my liking. There was more of a rock sound to them and the thing that captured me most about this album is the theme.

To me, Neon Bible is by far their most loaded album touching on religion, overbearing parents, media, etc. This album takes a step back in seriousness and a step forward in genuity. The Suburbs and many others on this album are melancholy songs because they make you realize how wrapped up in technology we are and how we don't embrace small things as much as we used to. My favorite class in college was History of the American City and a lot of things we discussed in that class are on the album. The isolation that comes with living in suburbs, how youth is protected from harrowing things that maybe inner city kids are exposed to younger and even how relatonships are based on what music you listen to and stuff.

I like Arcade Fire a lot because they are all early 30's so it's like they've made that transition to adulthood but it's not far away from their youth and that duality reflects in the songs.

It might not be a perfect album, to me Sprawl I is a throwaway track and Rococo is pretty mediocre, but the rest of this album is phenomonal and if you're a fan of music, definitely check this album out. This could very well be the defining album of Generation Y. OK Computer is probably the 90's version of this album. It is good in terms of the concept album but the idea of isolation from each other, impact of technology, and leaving youth to go to adulthood is much more fully realized on this album than OK Computer.