The Best Albums of 2010 returns from vacation

"In the suburbs, I learned to drive" - "The Suburbs"

8. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

In 2010, the Arcade Fire joined a very short list of Indie Rock darlings who hit it big in the mainstream without drastically simplifying or consciously making their music more accessible. The Suburbs was a number one album and earned the band an Album of the Year nod at the Grammy's. Here's why I think that happened (and why it happened with The Suburbs):

1. The Arcade Fire are a fantastic live act. Their music is perfectly suited to huge arenas (there are few things more emotionally arresting than a full stadium chanting the chorus to "Wake Up") and they know how to put on a show. When I went to see them at the garden, they were ridiculously energetic and enthusiastic (during "Rebellion (Lies)," the drummer picked up his bass drum, strapped it to his back and jumped around the stage while beating it) and frequently switched instruments during their performance. Arcade Fire shows have a tendency to convert a few non-believers into fans. The Suburbs is perfectly suited for live performance: the studio version of the songs don't have the bombast of Funeral, or even Neon Bible, but feature elaborate musical arrangements and interludes that fill up the room when performed. The best songs on The Suburbs fully realize their potential when performed live.
2. As pop music gets simpler (see this NY Times article), the Arcade Fire's trademark grandiosity sticks out. The trick is: keep the emotions simple and child-like, and make the music grand and complex. "Empty Room" features a whirlwind of strings, churning guitars and a frenzied vocal perfromance by Regine Chassagne, but the simple lyrics reflect the pleasures and fears of being alone.
3. Two of the Arcade Fire's biggest and most cited influences are U2 (expansive guitar tracks, melodic riffs, epic scope) and Bruce Springsteen (storytelling through lyrics, diverse instrumentation, romanticizing youth and locations), two artists that became extremely popular without embracing pop. Arcade Fire rose to prominence organically, without any manufactured label hype or hit singles, gradually building a fanbase through word of mouth and live performance. Like U2 and Springsteen, they have become mainstream because music fans accepted and embraced them, not because they compromised their musical values or talent. Now, they are free to enjoy the spoils of their hard work.
4. The songs. Each Arcade Fire album has around 4 or 5 instant classics, and The Suburbs is no exception. My favorite track from the album is "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)," a Regine Chassagne showcase about abandoned shopping malls rising like mountains in suburban wasteland. "We Used To Wait" rides a pretty piano line to explore how life was different in a time when people actually had to mail letters to other people. The driving anthem, "Ready to Start," will probably the band's go-to concert opening song for years to come. The Suburbs represents one of the Arcade Fire's greatest strengths: the ability to combine childlike innocence with adult experience to create a wholly unique and necessary niche in the modern alternative scene.

Standout Tracks: "Ready to Start," "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)," "We Used to Wait," "Rococo," "Half Light II (No Celebration)"