Cage the Elephant: Cage the Elephant

Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant

by grilledlemon

I randomly found this band browsing through the iTunes music store looking for stuff around the likes of Bloc Party and The Fratellis. This band had no previous record with me (or anyone as far as that's concerned), and why I felt compelled to listen to them i'll never know...but I'm glad I did.

Cage The Elephant is a very high strung fast paced Brit-alt band, not to the point where you can't understand them mind you...but you wouldn't listen to these guys while trying to fall asleep, their Jimi Hendrix-esque guitar solos will make sure you don't.

If I was asked to relate this band closely to another band I really couldn't choose. The songs on this album are definitely varied, the album starts off sounding like a British ska band with "In One Ear" and "James Brown" then the change into a White Stripes-like entity as the album goes along, changing sounds slightly every few songs really brought a great first time listening experience to me, it was exciting to listen to what they changed and how they would incorporate their British rock overtones.

With the overall (or lack of overall) sound part out of the way I can get to the songs, I implore you if you don't plan to listen to this band at all please listen to "Aint No Rest For The Weary", this song pretty much made the whole album a done deal for me. The rough yet smoothly intoxicating garage rock sound combined with the overly powerful lyrics makes this one of those songs you have no problem listening over and over to again.

After that there are tracks such as "Tiny Little Robots" and "Drones In The Valley" that have a very fast rhythmic tempo, these tracks are interesting as they sound a lot like the Strokes but it's like the Strokes got a British themed makeover. Just another reason to love these guys.

Overall this album is excellent, it had no single track I did not enjoy. A very worthwhile debut album from a new band, go get this album now! I don't care how you get it...just get it.