Consumer Guide: June, 2025

Speechifying from Springsteen, rockin’ on the mechanism from Buck 65, disruptive noise from Lambrini Girls, and words to stay alive for from Ezra Furman.

Arcade Fire: Pink Elephant (Columbia) Long-lived, hanging-in-there, straightforwardly anthemic traditional rock band decides it generates less risk albeit also renown (never mind content) as a straightforwardly abstract electronic rock band (“I Love Her Shadow,” “Circle of Trust”) *

Buck 65: Keep Moving (Handsmade) Now 53 and supposedly so fat his memory foam forgot he existed, the Nova Scotia rapper turned CBC host rolls out what I count as his 20th album without showing his age much less giving up the musical ghost. After all, as he explains and illustrates simultaneously: “It’s the equivalent of abstract expressionism, perfectionism when I’m rockin’ on the mechanism.” Rhymes that have never occurred to any other rapper include caribou-parachute, liver-quiver, phase six-basics, and to the best of my knowledge encore-John Ford. So not only could he go on if so inclined, he can’t stop and he won’t stop. When there’s yet more, as there will be, we’ll be glad there is. A