Arcade Fire¿s The Suburbs

<p><i>The Suburbs </i>is an incredibly sentimental and nostalgic album, which generally moved critics but was jarring to others. But it also made a heavy impact on fans and – to the surprise of many – won Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards. This immensely visceral album triggers a sincere celebration of not formative years spent in a cookie-cutter development, but of feeling self-important, immortal, and desperate to escape. It examines youth and amplifies an innate sense of longing and remembrance.<br>Eric Eidelstein’s <i>The Suburbs</i> explores this weird, utopic recollection of youth by comparing the album to suburban scenes in film and television, such as <i>Blue Velvet</i>, <i>Mad Men</i>, <i>The Americans,</i> and Spike Jonze’s <i>Scenes from the Suburbs</i>. Through the close examination of film and televised depictions of the suburbs, both past and present, Eidelstein delves into the societal factors and artistic depictions that make the suburbs such a fascinating cultural construct, and uncovers why the album creates such a relatable and universal sense of reminiscence.</p>