The sonic boom of this Kentucky band is evident from the stellar opening track and lead single "In One Ear". Lead singer Matt Shultz sets the tone of the album: "They say we aint got the style/class/tunes that's gonna put us on the map" and in a way, he's right.
The songs don't focus on your average rock n roll fascinations (girls, booze, drugs); instead, the band sings about modern day Manifest Destiny ("Lotus") and the hardships of living in a society ruled by the dollar king ("Aint No Rest for the Wicked").
The style is purely avante guard because it rejects modern trends in music and embraces the good ol' fashioned roots of ROCK. Cage the Elephant draws equally from early Red Hot Chili Peppers' funk, White Stripes swagger, Beck's straightforward rhythms and pure guitar bliss that would make their hero Henderix proud. "Back Stabbing Betty" is deliciously Southern but their songs are in the universal language of rock n roll. Come to think of it, the guys sound like an American Arctic Monkeys. And that's a recipe for success if I ever heard one.
The edgy album soars precisely because it strays so far from modern popular music (both mainstream and indie). It's time that rock music turned political again. We all could use a good dose of cultural criticism from music and, just shy of 38 minutes, Cage the Elephant delivers, hard.
So rest assured, Matt, your band is doin' just fine. It might take a little while for Americans to catch on, but in good time, crowds will flood to catch Cage the Elephant's wild live shows and Shultz's signature spastic tendencies.
4/5
the album was released in Europe in June of 2008 and was rereleased in the US on May 19th of this year. you can pick up a copy at any record store or on AMAZON
Cage the Elephant - In One Ear (Jools Holland) [mp3]
Cage the Elephant - Aint No Rest for the Wicked (acoustic) [mp3]
Cage the Elephant - Tiny Little Robots (Daytrotter) [mp3]
Cage the Elephant on MYSPACE
9 comments:
I like the sleeve :)
Thank's for the links !
you're welcome.
you should pick up the album if you don't have it already.
I just picked it up the other day and it's awesome! I don't think there's a single track on it that I don't like.
hahaha i take full responsibility for turning you on to this band. the one quip i have with the cd is the drummer. he keeps the rhythm the same thru every some making them all sound extremely similar. after a while they blend together, i cant stand that.
also this is more of a rockabilly revival than anything in my opinion, though the lyricism has improved extremely
I know what you mean about the drummer. the first time I listened to the album, I played it on my stereo and was only half paying attention to it, and found the music a little too similar. I later realized that it was just the rhythm, but the rest of the music is great.
but anyhow, thanks again. I really love this band. have you seen them live yet?
I've seen them live before. Great stage presence. They defintley know how to please a crowd!
Heard "No Rest" yesterday for the first time,and it knocked me out! Had to listen right after, to find out who it was. Now I have to get the CD (Is this a debut appearance?) The rest has to be killer, 'cos this song is sooo good!
it is a debut, indeed. it's a wicked album, highly recommended!
Post a Comment