Two Sunday CDs

So, due to the snow, last week's Sunday CD only arrived on Monday and I hadn't had a chance to review it yet, then lo and behold, this week's arrived today! On a Wednesday! This has literally never happened before! Anyway, to business.

Last week's Sunday CD is/was:

The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010)

I'd only heard one song from this previously, coupled with a rather wonderful Chrome-based geotagged video (click here to be impressed) and liked what I heard. Reminded of the album by listening to Bishop Graham Cray's 2009-2010 music summary from Soul Survivor this year, I decided to go out on a limb and buy the whole album (it's not on Spotify, so no pre-listen for me).

As a whole the album is good. I wish I could use a stronger adjective than 'good' but I can't bring myself to do it. There are some genuinely beautiful moments (the final track is a very moody reprise of the first), and none of the songs are below average, just the album as a whole didn't live up to the hype I'd heard surrounding this band. Worth a listen though, don't get me wrong!

This week's Sunday CD is:

Mogwai - Young Team (1997)

The only concern I have about having received the Scottish post-rock 5-piece's debut today (my lecture-free work day) rather than the customary Friday evening is that I might sit in an ethereal stupor with it on constant repeat for the rest of the day. I will try to resist.

Big fat guitar sounds, haunting speech samples, dynamic ranges to shame many an orchestra. You can't do much better in the way of epic instrumental post-rock than this album. I suggest you get it, or at least listen to it . . . a lot of times.

~J.R.