42 minutes of synth-fueled identity crisis, brought to you by Daniel Lanois (maybe too much)
Arcade Fire’s Pink Elephant feels like the soundtrack to a UFO slowly circling your neighborhood trying to decide whether to abduct you or start a synthpop cult. Spoiler: it does both. With Daniel Lanois co-producing, the album trades in its guitars-for-days legacy for a shiny, occasionally insufferable spaceship full of analog synths and atmospheric filler.
Track 1: Vangelis Called, He Wants His Fog Machine Back
The opener is all siren-wail synths and ambient hiss. Think Vangelis crash-landing Blade Runner into a reverb tank. It starts with promise, then just kind of… stays there. No transition into a proper song, just a fade into rain, static, hiss—whatever FX setting was labeled “mood.” It’s a UFO arriving, I guess. But by the end, I’m ready for it to depart.
Track 2: Pink Elephant – The Actual Song You Came For
Track 1 bleeds into the title track like condensation on an old sci-fi VHS. And then—finally—guitar. Gorgeous, raw Pedro the Lion-style guitar. Minimalist verses, maybe no bass at all till halfway through. There’s a slowcore vibe here that’s the closest thing to a 10/10 Arcade Fire track we’ve gotten in years. Background vocals soar. The bridge brings in simulated horns (Prophet-6? Maybe Moog One?) and the keys get fuzzy. The drums sound real and alive. Then, of course, more UFO landing synths at the end, because they just can’t help themselves.
Track 3: Regine Redemption Arc?
Flows beautifully out of track 2. Régine doesn’t ruin this one—in fact, she’s excellent. Whispers and harmonies with Win that work. That “Season of change” chorus is big and weird and heartfelt. There’s a low, maybe Hammond-ish organ under it that brings weight. The closing line “Let the stars of Texas fall in the lake” hits hard. This might be their best duet ever. Multiple bass textures: clean, distorted, maybe even a fuzzed-out Juno-60 in there. The heart breaks. And it works.
Track 4: EDM? In This Funeral?
Please no. This is where Lanois may have officially overcooked it. What starts as a decent rhythm devolves into the most skippable track on the record. Live drums sound nice at first, but then the bass drops hit with some low-pass filtered fuzz that ruins the illusion. There’s a bridge with no vocals that almost redeems it. But then they talk-chant at the end like The Postal Service if someone fed them gravel. I actually like the very end where it falls apart—but still, why did we have to get here?
Track 5: Alien Nation – Wait, Is This Good?
It starts like filler. But hold on—it morphs. Live drums meet industrial synths, and the machine breaks in all the right ways. Win keeps it dry, no weird filter FX, and it’s a blessing. Regine is tolerable. There’s a cowbell solo—yes, for real—and it’s glorious. I’m into this chaos. And what is that synth? Could be a Dreadbox or a dirty Prophet. Either way, I don’t hate this song anymore. I might love it.
Track 6: The UFO Lands Again (Why?)
The UFO that landed in track 1 is apparently touring the suburbs now. Speak & Spell-style voice samples, warbly pads. It’s all mood and no payoff. Is the “Pink Elephant” a metaphor for a hallucinated polar bear? Are we the elephants? Did Lanois put mushrooms in the mixing board? Who knows. It doesn’t matter.
Track 7: I Can Take You Anywhere – Surprisingly Great
Lyrics are strong. It’s a simple love song, honest and earthy. Win doubles himself and it’s beautiful. Regine comes in on the bridge and—shockingly—nails it. Doo-wop backing vocals, acoustic lead guitar, and an a cappella ending that just works. This one deserves to be remembered.
Track 8: I Love Her Shadow – Should’ve Been a Rock Song
That “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” bass drum pulse is back and I hate how it works against the synth bass here. But then those weird Farfisa-style keys come in and suddenly it clicks. Lyrically, this might be the best writing on the album. “I love her shadow, and I love her light, I’m breaking into heaven tonight”—tell me that wouldn’t crush if they’d just played it straight. Instead, it becomes an art piece, with Bright Eyes-style poetry and a Talking Heads-style outro that almost forgives it. I still want to crowd-surf in a giant inflatable ball during this one, though.
Track 9: Just Stop with the Synths
Seriously, enough. The UFO has landed, left crop circles, abducted half the rhythm section, and dropped them into a Moog showroom. It’s too much. No one asked for Tron: Funeral Redux.
Track 10: Last Chance – And It Almost Saves It
A long intro (81 seconds!) that kicks into frantic acoustic strumming and a bass line that finally sounds alive. Win sings clean and raw again—thank you. There’s an actual build here, a “never be lonely again” refrain that gets under your skin. The samples feel like Primitive Radio Gods meets Neon Bible. Then comes the Wake Up-style guitar at the end, and now we’re somewhere real. The drums get chaotic, and it’s glorious. “Clean up your heart / you’re missing the best part.” Yes. Yes, we are.
Final Thoughts:
Pink Elephant is the sound of a band torn between reinvention and nostalgia. Daniel Lanois may have given them too much rope—and they definitely swing from it a few times. It’s half great songs, half atmospheric synth indulgence. It’s Funeral for synth nerds, but sometimes it feels like a prank on fans of Funeral. Listen to the highlights, trim the fat, and maybe skip the spaceship ride next time.
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