Latest news with #Chassagne
Calgary Herald
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Album review: Arcade Fire licks its wounds on Pink Elephant
And the band played on. More than two years after the sexual misconduct allegations against singer Win Butler that had some (this writer included) wondering whether this was the end of the road, Arcade Fire returns with a seventh album, Pink Elephant, out May 9. Article content Montreal fans got a sneak preview as the group performed sold-out shows Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the intimate Olympia Theatre. They appear on Saturday Night Live on May 10. So business as usual, right? Not exactly. Article content Article content The album title is a reference to how attempting to suppress a thought makes it impossible to avoid, which accurately describes the impossibility of listening to Pink Elephant without reflecting on the controversy. In terms of mea culpas or deeper reflections on the topic, don't expect much more. Article content Article content Like Arcade Fire's 2022 pandemic album WE, Pink Elephant finds Butler and wife and bandmate Régine Chassagne holed up in their New Orleans studio, crafting songs of love, loss and perseverance. Article content 'I can take you anywhere / Where we're going, I don't care / I can work a 9 to 5, you can be an actress,' Butler sings on the ethereal Ride or Die. Translation: we don't need this music thing, anyway. Except of course, they do. Article content The song, like much of the album, bears the atmospheric stamp of the couple's new co-producer, Gatineau singer-songwriter and ambience guru Daniel Lanois, best known for his work with Brian Eno on U2's seminal albums. Article content Speaking of which, Pink Elephant begins with three minutes of tripped out synths, titled Open Your Heart or Die Trying. On the recently-released title track next, Butler sounds battle-worn as he reflects on heartache over laid-back power chords and a steady beat: 'The way it all changed makes me want to cry but / Take your mind off me.' Article content Article content Chassagne joins him on first single Year of the Snake, whispering/singing about it being 'the season of change, and if you feel strange, it's probably good.' Article content The song has an insistent beat and twinkling pedal steel guitar, the latter courtesy of Lanois, whose subtle touch can't be overstated. For a band post-crisis, releasing a comeback album of sorts, the veteran musician's refinements provide emotional depth and nuance. Article content Synths are a driving force, particularly on '80s dance track Circle of Trust. Again, Butler and Chassagne can be found whispering, this time about escaping 'into the ecstatic night' and geometric communion. Article content Alien Nation ups the ante with Nine Inch Nails-inspired intensity. Fuzz guitars and synths collide as Butler waxes on his favourite theme of post-millennial dysphoria, name dropping Black Friday cyber attacks, fake friends and going off the grid as the song swells to a frenetic climax.
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Album review: Arcade Fire licks its wounds on Pink Elephant
And the band played on. More than two years after the sexual misconduct allegations against singer Win Butler that had some (this writer included) wondering whether this was the end of the road, Arcade Fire returns with a seventh album, Pink Elephant, out May 9. Article content Montreal fans got a sneak preview as the group performed sold-out shows Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the intimate Olympia Theatre. They appear on Saturday Night Live on May 10. So business as usual, right? Not exactly. Article content Article content The album title is a reference to how attempting to suppress a thought makes it impossible to avoid, which accurately describes the impossibility of listening to Pink Elephant without reflecting on the controversy. In terms of mea culpas or deeper reflections on the topic, don't expect much more. Article content Article content Like Arcade Fire's 2022 pandemic album WE, Pink Elephant finds Butler and wife and bandmate Régine Chassagne holed up in their New Orleans studio, crafting songs of love, loss and perseverance. Article content 'I can take you anywhere / Where we're going, I don't care / I can work a 9 to 5, you can be an actress,' Butler sings on the ethereal Ride or Die. Translation: we don't need this music thing, anyway. Except of course, they do. Article content The song, like much of the album, bears the atmospheric stamp of the couple's new co-producer, Gatineau singer-songwriter and ambience guru Daniel Lanois, best known for his work with Brian Eno on U2's seminal albums. Article content Speaking of which, Pink Elephant begins with three minutes of tripped out synths, titled Open Your Heart or Die Trying. On the recently-released title track next, Butler sounds battle-worn as he reflects on heartache over laid-back power chords and a steady beat: 'The way it all changed makes me want to cry but / Take your mind off me.' Article content Article content Chassagne joins him on first single Year of the Snake, whispering/singing about it being 'the season of change, and if you feel strange, it's probably good.' Article content The song has an insistent beat and twinkling pedal steel guitar, the latter courtesy of Lanois, whose subtle touch can't be overstated. For a band post-crisis, releasing a comeback album of sorts, the veteran musician's refinements provide emotional depth and nuance. Article content Synths are a driving force, particularly on '80s dance track Circle of Trust. Again, Butler and Chassagne can be found whispering, this time about escaping 'into the ecstatic night' and geometric communion. Article content Alien Nation ups the ante with Nine Inch Nails-inspired intensity. Fuzz guitars and synths collide as Butler waxes on his favourite theme of post-millennial dysphoria, name dropping Black Friday cyber attacks, fake friends and going off the grid as the song swells to a frenetic climax.
Montreal Gazette
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Album review: Arcade Fire licks its wounds on Pink Elephant
Music And the band played on. More than two years after the sexual misconduct allegations against singer Win Butler that had some (this writer included) wondering whether this was the end of the road, Arcade Fire returns with a seventh album, Pink Elephant, out May 9. Montreal fans got a sneak preview as the group performed sold-out shows Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the intimate Olympia Theatre. They appear on Saturday Night Live on May 10. So business as usual, right? Not exactly. The album title is a reference to how attempting to suppress a thought makes it impossible to avoid, which accurately describes the impossibility of listening to Pink Elephant without reflecting on the controversy. In terms of mea culpas or deeper reflections on the topic, don't expect much more. Like Arcade Fire's 2022 pandemic album WE, Pink Elephant finds Butler and wife and bandmate Régine Chassagne holed up in their New Orleans studio, crafting songs of love, loss and perseverance. 'I can take you anywhere / Where we're going, I don't care / I can work a 9 to 5, you can be an actress,' Butler sings on the ethereal Ride or Die. Translation: we don't need this music thing, anyway. Except of course, they do. The song, like much of the album, bears the atmospheric stamp of the couple's new co-producer, Gatineau singer-songwriter and ambience guru Daniel Lanois, best known for his work with Brian Eno on U2's seminal albums. Speaking of which, Pink Elephant begins with three minutes of tripped out synths, titled Open Your Heart or Die Trying. On the recently-released title track next, Butler sounds battle-worn as he reflects on heartache over laid-back power chords and a steady beat: 'The way it all changed makes me want to cry but / Take your mind off me.' Chassagne joins him on first single Year of the Snake, whispering/singing about it being 'the season of change, and if you feel strange, it's probably good.' The song has an insistent beat and twinkling pedal steel guitar, the latter courtesy of Lanois, whose subtle touch can't be overstated. For a band post-crisis, releasing a comeback album of sorts, the veteran musician's refinements provide emotional depth and nuance. Synths are a driving force, particularly on '80s dance track Circle of Trust. Again, Butler and Chassagne can be found whispering, this time about escaping 'into the ecstatic night' and geometric communion. Alien Nation ups the ante with Nine Inch Nails-inspired intensity. Fuzz guitars and synths collide as Butler waxes on his favourite theme of post-millennial dysphoria, name dropping Black Friday cyber attacks, fake friends and going off the grid as the song swells to a frenetic climax. A darker synth interlude, Beyond Salvation, leads into the above-noted Ride or Die, which is among the sparer offerings the band has released. The mood lifts on the upbeat I Love Her Shadow, a poppy club ditty about 'breaking into heaven tonight' that finds Butler making unabashed professions of infatuation. It all wraps up with Stuck In My Head, a driving Arcade Fire anthem almost like the ones we used to know. (It is one of two songs, along with Alien Nation, to feature the group's near-full lineup including guitarist Richard Reed Parry, bassist Tim Kingsbury and drummer Jeremy Gara, along with violinist Sarah Neufeld.) When the band performed it Tuesday night, there was a collective cry of recognition during the opening notes as fans perhaps momentarily thought it was Rebellion (Lies), which came later in the night. Therein, Butler ruminates on the 'mess in my head, and mess in my heart,' the music building toward a punk-tinged freakout before the bottom drops out. 'Clean up your heart,' he pleads. 'You're missing the best part.' If Pink Elephant doesn't directly address the allegations and their aftershocks, it offers glimpses of Butler and Chassagne's reaction and decision to soldier on in the face of them. Camped out in the Big Easy, this is their 'us against the world' album as they lick their wounds, finding solace in each other and the music.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Arcade Fire Commune With Elephants, Snakes On New Album
A veritable menagerie will be found on Arcade Fire's new Columbia album, Pink Elephant, which will be released May 9. The first single, 'Year of the Snake,' is out now, in tandem with a video from David Wilson and Mark Prendergast in which group members Win Butler and Régine Chassagne travel from New Orleans to the outskirts of Austin to debut the song at Willie Nelson's Luck Reunion festival. 'Year of the Snake' is also notable for marking Arcade Fire recorded debuts for Butler on drums and Chassagne on bass. The 10-track Pink Elephant, meanwhile, was recorded at Butler and Chassagne's New Orleans-based Good News Recording Studio. More from Spin: Momma Say It Like They Mean It On 'Welcome To My Blue Sky' Turnstile Say 'Never' On First Album In Four Years 'Instant' Karma: Stereolab Are Back With New Album The album includes the vintage song 'Cars and Telephones,' which was performed live nine times in 2005 before disappearing for another 13 years. Fans who download Arcade Fire's Circle of Trust app will have first access to that track (the first Butler ever played for Chassagne some two decades ago), as well as news, videos, merch, ticket offers and band-created Santa Pirata Radio content. Several other new songs have already been played live at least once as well, including the title cut, 'Year of the Snake' and 'Ride or Die.' Pink Elephant is the follow-up to 2022's WE, which topped Billboard's Rock and Alternative tallies and debuted at No. 6 on the overall Billboard 200. It was nominated for the Best Alternative Music Album Grammy. Arcade Fire is planning pre-release shows in a handful of cities, during which they will play Pink Elephant from front to back in as-yet-unannounced 'intimate' venues. Open Your Heart or Die TryingPink ElephantYear of the SnakeCircle of TrustAlien NationBeyond SalvationRide or DieI Love Her ShadowShe Cries Diamond RainStuck In My Head To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Arcade Fire Return With ‘Pink Elephant,' First Album in Three Years, New Single and Video
Arcade Fire Return With 'Pink Elephant,' First Album in Three Years, New Single and Video Arcade Fire, who have kept a low profile since multiple sexual misconduct allegations were leveled against frontman Win Butler in 2022, will return on May 9 with their seventh studio album, 'Pink Elephant,' released on Columbia Records. The 10-track album is preceded by the single and video 'Year of the Snake,' embedded below. Comprising 10 new songs 'of cinematic mystical punk,' according to the announcement, the album was produced by Butler, his wife and bandmate Régine Chassagne and Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris) and was recorded at the band's Good News Recording Studio in New Orleans. ADVERTISEMENT More from Variety While the announcement states that the term 'pink elephant' refers to 'that paradoxical effect where the effort to suppress a thought leads to it being impossible to avoid,' it does not mention that the term is also an old-school reference to alcoholism-induced hallucinations. The song references 2025 being the Lunar Year of the Snake, 'which represents a time for renewal, positive transformation and new beginnings,' and the video prominently features Butler and Chassagne being affectionate and playfully romping around New Orleans during Mardis Gras and a Houston rodeo with Jeremy Gara, Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry, and briefly visiting with Willie Nelson at his Texas ranch. The release is also accompanied by the band's 'Circle of Trust' app, which features Arcade Fire news, music, videos, early access to tickets, exclusive merch, and the premiere episode of 'Santa Pirata Radio,' where the band speak directly to fans. It also includes the exclusive release of the track 'Cars and Telephones' and its accompanying video. According to the announcement, this previously unreleased track was the composition that Butler ever played for Chassagne. ADVERTISEMENT The new release appears to reflect a concerted effort to move on from the 2022 allegations, for which Butler apologized while maintaining that the five relationships were consensual. In the coming days Arcade Fire will announce special gigs in select cities where the band will perform the new album in its entirety prior to its release. 'Pink Elephant' tracklist: 1. Open Your Heart or Die Trying 2. Pink Elephant 3. Year of the Snake 4. Circle of Trust 5. Alien Nation 6. Beyond Salvation 7. Ride or Die 8. I Love Her Shadow 9. She Cries Diamond Rain 10. Stuck In My Head Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
