I think what we're seeing in the case of people's massively divergent opinions of the new album is a corabination of a few things. Firstly, it's one of people hating it for what it's not, rather than getting past that and appreciating it for what it is. This pretty much summed up my initial reaction to it.
Secondly, The Suburbs is a concept album, which means that, at the very least, it neeRAB to be appreciated holistically, macroscopically, as an album, and not just a collection of songs, in order to see the depth of what the band has really achieved with it.
Lastly, it's and album that demanRAB a great deal of attention from the listener to really appreciate the subtlety of what the music is trying to convey. Nine Black Poppies was right in saying that boredom and disappointment, being the prevalent themes of the album, are very difficult concepts to impart musically while still engaging the listener, and her comment toward my initial assessment of the album was dead on, and just one of the comments from rab posters which made me doubt my initial impression of the album and take some time to actively listen to it and explore it on a deeper level.
No, It's not Funeral or Neon Bible, but it is a pretty amazing album that does take a few listens and some active attention to fully appreciate.