Somewhere over some midwestern State on the flight home, I fell in love with The Suburbs. Over the years, I've become fond of saying about indie rock albums I like that there are songs that just smack you in the face and force you to pay attention. I'm not sure that The Suburbs has any of those for me and especially not in comparison to previous releases like Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) or My Body Is A Cage but, taken as a whole, this album is powerful.
It's a bear hug of mood and tone. It engulfs you with a feeling. For some reason, it reminds me of Jeffrey Eugenides's writing in The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex. It conveys that same sense of maudlin and longing and desire to break free from our semi-charmed lives.
It's middle class rebel music.
And, finally, I get it.