Despite an almost decade-long tenure in the music industry, Arcade Fire saw fit to release their third full-length studio album over the summer. After much commercial success and a long-winded tour, their sophomore record, Neon Bible, has been succeeded by their latest collection entitled The Suburbs.

As the name suggests, this album has a very specific theme. Its lyrics and general tone resonate strongly with the theme of homecoming, returning to where you were raised. These are ideas that most listeners — or anyone who grew up in the suburbs, outside of any major city — can relate to.

Musically, this is by far the most enjoyable Arcade Fire album I have experienced. Many found the band’s previous output to be hit or miss — some songs were easily enjoyable, while it was a chore to sit through others. Although this album has a few misses, it is much more consistent and features a lot of catchy tunes, such as the driving “Rococo” and “Sprawl II.”

While a few of the tunes sound like they belong on an indie film soundtrack, the majority of this album has a really nice sound with clever lyrics. The artists themselves admit that the album is somewhat autobiographical, drawing from their own childhood spent in the suburbs. Whatever their influences, they certainly picked a good direction for The Suburbs. Debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and selling over 100,000 copies in their first week, this album is set to be a success.