SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ARCADE FIRE – PINK ELEPHANT

ARCADE FIRE
PINK ELEPHANT
COLUMBIA RECORDS

Indie rock would not be the same without Arcade Fire. They redefined the genre, gave us some of the greatest records since the 2000s, and influenced countless artists and bands. Their newest album is produced by Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, and the legendary Daniel Lanois. Pink Elephant, however, is a far cry than what they once were.

“Alien Nation” blows everything else from Pink Elephant out of the water. I did not expect such a heavy song from Arcade Fire. They go in a more industrial, almost noise-rock direction with it. It is loud, explosive, frantic, and wildly chaotic. It is such an absolute rocker of a song, from the off-the-rail energy, the fuzzy guitar riffs, Win Butler’s magnificent vocals, the electrifying atmosphere, and the thrilling beats.

With “Ride Or Die”, Arcade fire returns to their roots. Although it is not nearly as excellent as their beloved classics with a similar lo-fi minimalistic approach, the chorus is quite stunning, especially the way Butler’s voice and the guitar layer together. The hypnotically entrancing “Year Of The Snake” sees them exploring a cool sonic world, though it never gets as anthemic as one might hope. Alternatively, “Circle Of Trust” is a fun, catchy, disco-like pop tune that is far from their best work, but it is still a pretty good time.

As far as the songwriting goes, it is quite weak. Only “Stuck In My Head”, which does a terrific job addressing mental health, shows glimpses of their glory days. The songwriting is not bad. However, you will be massively disappointed when you know what Arcade Fire is known for, especially with The Suburbs or Funeral. Pink Elephant lacks the heavy-hitting lyricism, poignancy, beauty, and authenticity of those records.

There are a handful of synth-heavy instrumental tracks, including the album opener, “Open Your Heart Or Die Trying”. These tracks end up missing the mark as they do not really set the scene for following songs or act as interesting interludes. They just do not add much to the record and ruin any momentum it had. The aforementioned song has a decent ambient atmosphere, but there is nothing spectacular about it that will have you returning to it.

Artist Links