Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

A synthpop turn sung by Regine Chassagne, the last single from The Suburbs.
Arcade Fire, from The Suburbs (2010)

Released
2010
Album
The Suburbs

The song is a synthpop number with lead vocals by Regine Chassagne, inspired by Tracy Kidder's 2003 book Mountains Beyond Mountains. Two videos were released on 13 December 2011, one traditional and one interactive, both directed by Vincent Morisset. The traditional cut runs five minutes and 40 seconds and mostly follows Chassagne. In the interactive version a viewer's webcam dancing sets the speed of the video.

It became the sixth and final single from the album on 21 April 2012, as a Record Store Day 12-inch with Damian Taylor remixes of it and of "Ready to Start". A Soulwax remix was previewed on BBC Radio 1 on 20 March 2012. Pitchfork named it Best New Track, with Larry Fitzmaurice calling the disco production "a glorious change-up". It was ranked 74th by Uproxx, 50th by Pitchfork and 20th by NME in songs-of-the-decade lists. The band played it on Saturday Night Live on 13 November 2010, and it was one of three songs for which they won the 2011 Juno for Songwriter of the Year.

More songs by Arcade Fire

Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies), No Cars Go, Ready to Start, The Suburbs, Reflektor, Keep the Car Running, We Used to Wait, Afterlife, Everything Now, Creature Comfort

Sources

  1. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), Wikipedia
  2. Arcade Fire, Wikipedia