Update: Third album The Suburbs has been announced via their website. It will be released on August 2nd (UK) /3rd (US). You can pre-order it here.
Zane Lowe played both songs from the new Arcade Fire 12″ earlier tonight. ‘The Suburbs’ is a pleasant piano-led ditty which seems like it would embed in your skull upon multiple listens. I especially like the strings. ‘Month of May’ meanwhile has an uncharacteristic urgent punk snarl to it.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
On the suburbs track, Win sounds like he is a man in full blown existential crisis mode. I like it. At first I thought it was a very ordinary track. But it gets ya. The chorus is so subtle. What a song. Pity they chose oxegen again….
love both traks ,looking forward to new material
The Suburbs IS a Badly Drawn Boy song from his first album. Just need to fish out the album to figure out which one.
i guess at least its different. good to see the evolving. i’d say its a grower alright!
Month of May is different but good different. Happy Days.
AF seem to be in a better mood than they used to be! great stuff
The Badly Drawn Boy track I think your referring to is ‘About a boy’ from the film of the same name….it’d be the second album, although not an album proper…more a score…
I like what I’m hearing with these new songs. Their first LP Funeral was an instant classic. A piece of beauty from start to finish. Neon Bible seemed a little tired and forced, especially with reworked older tracks included. Hadn’t the same longevity as its predecessor. So far I’ve heard four tracks from the new record, and I’m quietly happy and eager to hear more. They are, as was aptly pointed out, rather infectious. Roll on August 2nd.
This song is a virtual COPY of Badly Drawn Boy – Something to Talk About (Album = About a Boy).