Sticking Up For The Sophomores

The release of the latest Arcade Fire album (The Suburbs) got me thinking about the maturing of bands juxtaposed with the sometimes unwillingness of fans to approve of the band diverting their path from that of their first album. Case in point: Arcade Fire. Personally, I think The Suburbs is superb, and I like it more than Funeral or Neon Bible. I am probably not alone in thinking this, but I would be willing to bet a majority of Arcade Fire fans disagree. Funeral will, in some fans' eyes, always be the best album no matter what.

Arcade Fire even poked fun at this sentiment in an interview with Bob Boilen on NPR's All Songs Considered. To me, Will & Win's reaction was perfect. They definitely realize the importance and significance of their first album but also want to move on and continue to create new material. Go figure.

Of course there will always be debut albums that are considered classic - I think we can all agree that Parachutes is an amazing album - but I need to make a case for the great sophomore albums that have been made. In looking through my collection, I can find quite a few groups where I enjoy their second album more than the debut:

Radiohead: The Bends
Nirvana: Nevermind

Weezer: Pinkerton

Counting Crows: Recovering The Satellites
Muse: Origin of Symmetry
Ben Folds Five: Whatever And Ever Amen
eels: Electro-Shock Blues
Better Than Ezra: Friction, Baby

Guster: Lost and Gone Forever

Beck: Odelay

The Streets: A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique

There are a few keys to the superior sophomore album:

1) Maturity. Most groups have nearly 20 years (or more) to write their first album, and then they are expected to churn out a second, better, hit-filled album in the next 1-3 years. That's a tall order. I don't know what the formula is, but some bands just seem to have a knack for pulling it together quicker. And actually, some of the albums I listed aren't necessarily more hit-filled, but they resonated with critics and fans. Paul's Boutique is a good example of a superior second album with far less hits than the first.

2) Exploration on a Natural Path. The natural inclination of any group is to expand their sound after the first album. After playing those same songs for years on end, any group would want to change it up a little. While this feeling is normal, some fans may feel like a group has taken too much of a turn on their second release. Again, I don't know what the formula is, but an album like Origin of Symmetry is sonically more mature that Showbiz, and that is definitely a good thing.

3) Varied Production. Most of the albums I listed are sonically varied from the debut. Take Pinkerton as an example. The Blue Album has a nice polished garage fuzz to it, but Pinkerton felt more loose and jangly which, to me, feels more intimate and genuine. If a group can maintain their identity while expanding it through enhanced (or minimized) production, I say go for it.

4) Change. Don't attempt to re-create your debut.

With all of that said, there will undoubtedly still be bands whose debut is fantastic and never surpassed by subsequent albums. All I'm saying is give the sophomores a chance! They're not all bad.

Are there any sophomore albums you like better than the debut?

[Note: I realize The Suburbs is not Arcade Fire's sophomore album, but it was the crys of "Funeral is the best album ever!" that got me thinking.]