It had been since 2013’s “Reflektor” that Arcade Fire recorded an album with no skippable tracks — “Everything Now” was mostly forgettable, and “We,” from 2022, came close but was done in by some plodding, overblown moments.
A new album, then, could have been a return to the undeniable glory of the first four or another missed opportunity. The band rolled out its usual pre-release hype: cryptic social media posts, small-venue shows and late-night TV performances. We’d seen this before, so cautious optimism was best advised. But about halfway through the 10 tracks and 42 minutes of Arcade Fire’s sixth album, it becomes clear that “Pink Elephant” is a return to form.
At its best, Arcade Fire music is driven by rhythm and lyrics, not to say the melodies are an afterthought. The title track’s insistent beat and restrained vocals by Win Butler and the eerie instrumentals around Regine Chassagne’s voice that form “Year of the Snake” are classic Arcade Fire, as is the central lyric of “Snake”: “It’s the season of change, and if you feel strange, it’s probably good.”
“Circle of Trust” showcases the band’s love for dance music but with rich electric guitars and acoustic drums beneath understated vocals by Butler and Chassagne, who are married. Strangely, it also marks the second straight AF album with a Kid Icarus reference.
The arresting “Ride or Die” is a master class in minimalism, little more than acoustic guitar and percussion. Butler sings to his partner: I can be a movie star, you can be an actress, you can work a 9-to-5, I can be a waitress, alternating the different jobs between the two — it doesn’t matter because they have each other’s backs. A deeper reading can be made considering the sexual assault allegations against Butler in 2022, which he has denied. Chassagne has stayed with him.
“Pink Elephant’s” nuances are best enjoyed on headphones. It is decidedly small: small sounds, small gestures and smaller themes, ones you feel are being communicated directly to you, unlike the big anthems that have made the band arena rock stars. There’s an exception in “Stuck in my Head” when Butler repeatedly shouts: “You’re missing the best part/ Clean up your head, get the fuck out of bed.”
“Pink Elephant” is not the best place for an Arcade Fire neophyte to start; that would be “Funeral” or “Neon Bible.” But for a fan who has strayed, now would be a good time to return.
Rating: 79/81
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