iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
I can't attest to objective authenticity of either, as I don't have the life experience to give my views such gravity, but the Suburbs rings true for me and Neon Bible borders on sloganeering. Again, it's maybe just an issue of taste. If there is any problem with The Suburbs it's that it's a one-trick pony; Win hits the same nerve on every song, but the lyrics are so damn true that I can forgive him for it. Not everyone has experienced a childhood like his (or mine), but I can personally attest to its truth. Neon Bible says a lot of things that add up to "the world is an awful place and uh yeah," and that doesn't do a lot for me.
I too grew up in a suburb and would agree that much of the album is unnervingly poignant (especially We Used to Wait). I just feel that the overall atmosphere is unrelentingly bleak: a picture of shattered hopes and mundane pleasures that are almost not worth the effort. I'm afraid I don't see the optimism in it.