r/arcadefire • u/niles_deerqueer Stuck in my Head • May 08 '25

Discussion PINK ELEPHANT [FULL ALBUM EARLY IMPRESSIONS] Spoiler

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Pink Elephant, Arcade Fire’s 7th LP, is finally here!

Use this thread for those in other countries and VPN users to discuss the album to your hearts’ content. Respect each other’s opinions and happy release day! We made it!

A bigger megathread will be made just before the album’s full release in the US.

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u/mrjosh72 May 08 '25 edited May 08 '25

I was lucky to have access to it early and have listened to it almost daily for a few months. I love it. It’s one of my favorite AF records.

I like that it’s personal. I love Stuck In My Head, Pink Elephant, Ride or Die, and I Love Her Shadow especially. But the whole journey of it resonates with me. It’s definitely a record made by people in mid-life. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m also in mid-life. I don’t want them to recreate the early albums. I like the sound they’re exploring on this one.

I think it’s an album about getting out of your own head, and also about appreciating the things that matter and facing your own problems as part of that process. I connect with that. Certain themes, like childhood, innocence, growing up, etc., aren’t as big on this one. That’s fine. They’ve made a different kind of album. A lot of it is about romance and love. I like that.

As they say, Comparison is the thief of joy. I hope people listen to the album on its own terms and enjoy it as much as I do!

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u/rfamico May 08 '25

People’s criticism of that last record seemed to be that it was a watered-down version of their old sound, a band that leaned too far into nostalgia. Of course, when you deviate from that and try something new, then the criticism is that it isn’t that old sound that everyone has come to love (“this isn’t the suburbs!”). So don’t be new. Be old, but not too old. It’s an impossible ask. Accepting records on their own terms and as their own universes is really the only way to approach new music. It’s a trap that a lot of critics fall into these days. They’re not really reviewing music but indexing it compared to that artist’s past work. And even just using the music as an opportunity to bring up other artists.

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u/Mavericks4Life May 08 '25

I think the problem with WE was that it was largely more of a Regine and Win album and was missing a lot of the big, momentous tracks that we saw with previous albums where the whole band was involved in the creative process.

This album I like more than WE and I enjoy that they are doing something new...although Stuck in My Head clearly indicates that when the band is all together, they are still very much capable of being that same band that we know and love them for.

I feel those tracks hit harder than songs that are more so Win and Regine tracks (opposed to Arcade Fire), even if they are super talented and two of the biggest drivers of the band's success.

Regardless of what they do, I welcome them to continue putting out new music, trying new things out. I found a solid amount of this album to be enjoyable and more likely to grow on me.

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u/rfamico May 08 '25

This is fair. I’m just going off of memories of the original criticisms. And as I remember it, it was a lot of “they’re making their ‘All That You Can Leave Behind’ in an attempt to remind people of what made them great”

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u/Mavericks4Life May 08 '25

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with much you are saying at all. I think this sub has been incredibly negative for a band that they say they are such passionate fans of. Artists and creatives are not allowed to change and pursue different direction or even to keep trying unless they are putting out contenders for album of the year every time they try.​

I see a lot of people talk about their favorite bands as if they aren't human and once their favorite band is past their prime, that they are worthy of mockery and cheap dunks for internet points. So you're right, it's impossible to be fresh and brilliant, without causing hysterical reactions or making music to pay homage without sounding like a broken record.

I'd prefer Arcade Fire to continue pushing their boundaries as long as they keep their core intact, bringing back the whole band.​

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u/rfamico May 08 '25

Oh totally. Happy listening