Arcade Fire have returned with ‘Year Of The Snake’—the first cut from their upcoming album Pink Elephant, due out May 9.
The track finally dropped after weeks of cryptic pink-washed posts and a fan club update confirming the album title. Pink Elephant will be the band’s seventh studio album and the follow-up to 2022’s WE, which received a mixed reception and left fans unsure of where the band stood after a decade of shifting sounds and frontman Win Butler’s public controversies.
‘Year Of The Snake’ doesn’t hit like a full reinvention, but it’s brighter and looser than anything on WE. Régine Chassagne handles lead vocals and steps in on bass for the first time, while Butler moves to drums. There’s a clear sense of starting fresh, both musically and thematically—the song leans into ideas of rebirth and self-reflection without getting too self-important.
The band debuted the track last month at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion festival, but it’s now streaming with a video co-directed by longtime collaborator David Wilson and visual artist Mark Prendergast.
As for the album, Arcade Fire are calling Pink Elephant a “cinematic mystical punk” record. Based on the liner notes, it spans 42 minutes across 10 tracks. It was also recorded at the band’s Good News studio in New Orleans. The album title specifically refers to the psychological idea that suppressing a thought only makes it louder. It’s a truly fitting metaphor for a band often accused of overthinking their next move.
Whether this record lands depends on the songs more than the concept. But with a leaner runtime and a self-contained setup, Pink Elephant could be their tightest effort in years. They just need to make sure that they let the music speak louder than the mystique.
