Matt LuceyAfter a long silence and a wave of controversy, Arcade Fire return with Pink Elephant, their first new album since 2022. Unveiled during a surprise set at Luck Reunion, the record marks a shift in tone—mixing traces of their classic sound with uneven experimentation.
About the band
Formed in 2001, Arcade Fire are considered one of the major influences in the Indie Rock genre. From Montreal, Canada, this band consists of husband and wife duo, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. Other members include Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. Over their 24 year run, the band has undergone numerous changes, including one of the founding members. Starting off strong, the band brought out their debut album, Funeral in 2004. This release skyrocketed the band into the public eye. The band followed this by releasing numerous albums over the next few years, winning a slew of awards. The Suburbs was another critically acclaimed album, released in 2010. Almost every release was followed by nominations
Where are they in their careers
Unfortunately, in 2022, some disturbing accusations came forth regarding sexual misconduct between 2016-2020. These allegations against Butler stuck with the band and tarnished the reputation. They continued over the following years to tour and attend festivals but haven’t brought out any new music since. Pink Elephant, the album I’m reviewing today, was announced in March when the band performed songs from the album at Luck Reunion.
This album
The album, released on May 9th, met mixed reviews on its launch. With a departure from their usual sound, this album was slightly adventurous in its sound. This, unfortunately, was paired with some poor mixing and jarring sounds. There are certainly redeeming aspects, some songs shining through the rest. The album actually, for the most part, flows quite well, though loses its footing in some places. While the atmospheric intro didn’t evoke anything for me at first, after a few listens, I began to enjoy it,
Pink Elephant
“Pink Elephant”, the titular track, is sort of reminiscent of the band as it was in its hay-day. With the drums and tone shifts, the core is certainly there. The lead singer’s voice is certainly recognisable, though a bit rough, or weak, when compared to earlier works. The atmospheric sound building is certainly a high point. Like a lot of Arcade Fire tracks, this song is best heard live, with a full ensemble. The heavy handed mixing is a detractor on this album, with the various instruments not quite matching each other’s volumes and energy. All in, this was a fine track, though not something I would seek out.
Circle of trust
“Circle of Trust” might be my least favourite song on the album. This song is immediately jarring, taking you out of the relatively relaxed, albeit busy, previous tracks. The lyrics don’t work with the song, devolving into pretty much spoken work by the end. The vocals just feel wrong on this track, not seeming to tie the song together in any way. As I mentioned, this song was jarring, with a discordant instrumental backing that’s really quite unpleasant to listen to. The finale of the song consists of the words “Circle of Trust” repeated over and over by the lead singers, as though trying to hit a quota for song length.
Ride or Die
“Ride or Die” was probably my favourite song on the album. This track is much softer than the rest of the album, stripped down to just vocals and guitar for the beginning. Through the song, other string instruments are added in slowly, maintaining the gentle sound. I really didn’t expect this type of song while listening but it was certainly welcome. While most of the album follows a relatively similar vibe, this track offers something new. I think it works quite well on its own and would probably be a good standalone song if you were looking for a positive take away from the album.
Conclusion
I really wasn’t blown away by this album. It’s not going to win awards for anything. It won’t stand amongst the band’s greatest hits. Neither is it worth ignoring. There are some decent tracks in the album, if you want to wade through the rest to find them. It is nice to have new content from the band, even though it doesn’t quite live up to expectations.
