The Musiquarium

Released: 2025

Genres: Indie Rock, Alternative Dance, Neo-Psychedelia

The Musiquarium’s Pink Elephant Review Score: 8 out of 10

Following a PR scandal, where Win Butler was accused of “inappropriate behaviour” from different women, as well as Will Butler’s departure from the band, expectations were low for Arcade Fire’s new album. It seemed like listeners had already soured on the album before it released, and despite it being inferior to their defining works released between 2004-2013, Pink Elephant is still an album with its own charm.

After having worked with Radiohead’s frequent producer Nigel Godrich on their last LP, WE, Arcade Fire have sought out Daniel Lanois for Pink Elephant, known for his many collaborations with Brian Eno on various U2 albums.

Open Your Heart or Die Trying is an ambient instrumental opener that doesn’t really go anywhere or do much, but I suppose it’s the band trying their hands at something new; the song then segues into the title track, which feels like modern Arcade Fire’s take on their old sound. The band has grown and expanded their influences since leaving behind their original sound on The Suburbs, but this song still emanates a sense of nostalgia. The first single, Year of the Snake, definitely sounds like a Daniel Lanois product, faintly recalling him (and Brian Eno’s) earlier production works, like U2’s 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire.

On Circle of Trust, we find some Reflektor era alternative dance rock. Alien Nation is another electronic track, this time with a tinge of punk. Ride or Die is one of the band’s most serene and calming songs yet. I Love Her Shadow sees a return to the more dance pop style heard on Everything Now. Stuck in My Head goes back to the band’s Funeral days — it’s not as powerful as any of those era-defining tracks, but I wouldn’t call it insincere either.

Three out of the ten tracks are ambient instrumentals, on what is already the band’s shortest album yet, so don’t expect the grandiosity of the band’s more epic albums, nor any of their politically-charged lyricism. Win Butler also fails to directly address the scandal that lost the band so many fans over the past few years. Instead, the lyrics on Pink Elephant are much more personal, often alluding to Régine Chassagne, though for many, the damage has already been done.

You can call Pink Elephant unfocused and slight, or you can say that it’s a retrospective mix of the different elements of the band’s history. It might not replicate what made albums like Funeral, Neon Bible, The Suburbs and Reflektor such instant classics, but it still has glimpses of the magic that the band once harnessed so much of. Unfortunately, this might be the last we hear from Arcade Fire for a while, though many fans have already jumped ship.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Arcade Fire on Discogs.

Back to the 2025 Album Guide or the Arcade Fire Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard