Arcade Fire‘s The Suburbs is a mere seven weeks from arrival. Can you believe it? You ought to, now that two more songs from the album that was once just a shadowy rumor have appeared online.
Reports have pegged “Ready to Start” as Arcade Fire’s next single, though band reps’ lips remain sealed. It certainly sounds like a strong contender. Some arresting imagery in this one: “Businessmen drink my blood,” Win Butler sighs in Robert Smithly tones. (True Blood music supervisors, are you listening?) Behind him, the band broods and builds, then fades in a sudden way that keeps making me want to hit “play” again ASAP.
“We Used to Wait,” which BBC DJ Zane Lowe premiered across the pond, opens on a brighter note, with plinking pianos and crisp drums that wouldn’t be out of place on, oh, a Hall and Oates song. A nervous edge that’s more typically Arcade Fire creeps in as Butler begins to sing. “I hope that something pure can last,” he repeats, sounding unsure of himself.
Both songs feel thematically and musically linked to the double-A-side single that Arcade Fire surprised us with last month. Taken together, the four tunes we’ve now heard have me more psyched than ever for The Suburbs‘s Aug. 3 arrival. How about you?
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Katy Perry on Lady Gaga ‘feud’: “People love cat fights”
Bonnaroo ’10: Sunday
Lady Gaga flips off photographers
Anita Baker drops the ball singing the national anthem at NBA finals
ARCADE FIRE!!!!!!!
Where’s the tie in to Katy Perry or Lady Gaga? This IS EW, right? Did you get permission to write about something actually cool on here, Simon?
Well, he does reach for a True Blood reference. ugh. It’s all about gathering the web hits, not about real smart writing. Besides it’s We All Want Someone to Shout For that got the scoop, as cited by Pitchfork.
YES. EXCITED INDEED. Now we just need a tour announcement…
tour was already announced and is pretty much already sold out…
This album has the potential to make my year. Seriously. This will probably be my soundtrack from the day it comes out until December 31. Agree with Marianne – gief tour announcement, s’il vous plait!
There is a tour – tickets went on sale for the Boston show like a week ago.
For me this album is so far sounding pretty good, but quite polished. It has always been their– at times– ragged playing that has attracted me to their records.
I love arcade fire! The 4 songs are quite fantastic. I cant wait for the album. 16 songs!!!
I saw them tonight in Canada. It was epic. And they played oodles of new material. 2 of the 4 songs that are online. And many many more from the coming album! ALL of them were fantastic! I am beyond excited.