Back in 2008 Cage the Elephant released one of the most impressive debut albums of the year. Their self-aware bluesy funk harkened back to the heyday of British R&B (i.e. Rolling Stones not Craig David) and was buoyed in the charts by their ubiquitous single 'Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked'. So now in 2011 the young American quintet have returned to answer the question posed to so many bands in their position: “So, what else do you have?” They have responded with their new album Thank You Happy Birthday, a volatile brew of expectations met and expectations confounded that is laden with the angst born from triumph.
Listening to the album it is clear that success and popularity weigh on the band like an albatross around their collective neck as they rage against hit singles, cool kids, and even themselves. It might seem like a strange move for such a well-received and promising young band but that almost feels like the point; to brazenly shoot into unknown territory, jettisoning those fans wanting a steady diet of “more of the same”.
Right off the bat on opening track ‘Always Something’ you can hear something new from Cage the Elephant. Their sound is light on wry jaunty blues, more akin to the post-punk-noir sound of Bloc Party or The Arctic Monkeys. Guitars criss-cross over a taut bass line and a Primal Scream beat. At least lead singer Matthew Schultz sounds the same, giving existing fans something to hold onto at least for now. They are saving the curveballs for a little later. And in that regard look no further than the unhinged fuzz blast of ‘Indy Kidz’, a menacing tune that recalls the acid-casualty surf rock of Butthole Surfers. Before it ends you find yourself wallowing in squalls of feedback and Shultz’s patronising taunts about how he thinks that “You’re so cool / I wanna be just like you”. The venom behind the sentiment is palpable.
Cage the Elephant seem to be stretching the outer regions of their sound as the albums strengths are divided between hate-fuelled noise rockers and up-tempo pop’n’roll. ‘Shake Me Down’ and ‘2024’ are comparable to the messy guitar pop of the Pixies, even when the later flies off into a boisterous Hardcore groove before returning to earth. Every time you think you have this album pegged down the next track reveals a surprise. ‘Rubber Ball’ is a tender waltz with hardly dash of irony in sight. ‘Sabertooth Tiger’ explodes as a messy tempest of abrasive guitars and painfully lo-fi howls and manages to only get more aggressive from there until it ultimately collapses under its own weight. The breakdown alone is enough to send hipsters running for cover. The number of different styles that the band undertakes is rather impressive even if they don’t all pay off. The only really weak point on the album is ‘Sell Yourself’ in that it lacks the restless ambition of its peers. The album closes a million miles away from where it began on the refreshingly serene ‘Flow’, a genuinely beautiful wee jam. It feels almost like a reward for braving the storm, a mumbled apology from the band for sitting through their catharsis.
While it is not an outright amazing album it is evident that Cage the Elephant have sidestepped the dreaded sophomore album slump, rather than confronting it, as they carve their own path forwards. Here’s hoping that album number three can pull out all the stops and strike their true potential. Until then Thank You Happy Birthday will leave people scratching their head in the months to come.
Rating: B-
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