| Cage the Elephant – Thank You Happy Birthday |  |
And so it begins again. It’s only been a week since we posted our Favorite Albums of 2010 and here I am back to reviewing new albums and I never would of believed you if you told me the first would be by Cage the Elephant.
For starters, I was fairly familiar with such Cage songs as “In One Ear” and “Ain’t No Room for Wicked” from the radio and commercials. They kind of reminded me of a poor man’s Jack White, they had the style, but I wasn’t too big on the tunes. After this sophomore release I may have to reassess this group entirely. If you’d have randomly put on this new album without telling me, I never would of guessed it’s Cage the Elephant. The songs are far more primal, grungier, and well, just better.
Before this album I would of probably wrote Cage off as another run of the mill, one-two punch rock band, but this album is hardly run of the mill. It feeds off of angsty vocals, heavy riffs and Pixies-like melodies that will please indie and mainstream crowds alike. It’s a little bit punk, it’s a little bit pop and a step in the right direction for this still young band.
First of I have to address the song “Aberdeen”. I basically bought this album solely on the confidence of this song and as far as I’m concerned, it’s their best effort yet. A raw n’ infectious rocker that just bares more than a striking resemblance to something the Pixies might do. Loud, quiet, loud, awesome! It’s simply a great song, easily my favorite on the entire album, but there’s lots for you to dig your sugary teeth into. “Shake Me Down” is a rather unconventional pop song that sounds as if it was sewn together from other songs. There’s no real chorus or verse structure and yet it feels just right. It’s another track that leans toward the more “pop” oriented songs on the album.
The punk moments of the album aren’t nearly as entertaining, but they feel at place with the loose playful structure of the whole experience. Man if this is the direction Cage the Elephant is going in now, I might just have to hitch a ride.
Favorite Tracks: “Aberdeen”, “Around My Head”, “Shake Me Down”