There used to be a time when listening to Cage the Elephant meant being bombarded with screeching guitars and riotous lyrics, spanning topics from political discontentment to having bad trips because of a crate-load of psychedelic drugs. Indeed, these were times when Cage’s label of a ‘psychedelic rock’ band was obvious and unavoidable. Nowadays, after the release of their last album Melophobia, and now their most recent work Tell Me I’m Pretty, their shift away from the ‘rock’ portion of that label shows no signs of stopping. And as a continuation of the journey into a new sound the band are embarking on, Tell Me I’m Pretty is a solid offering, filled with psychedelic nostalgia and promising signs to come, even if it’s not quite what the die-hard fans have come to expect over the years.
From the off, the psychedelic influences are there. ‘Cry Baby’ kicks us off with a bass that has a heavy ’70s groove to it and high pitched, wavering guitars along with muted rhythm chords reminiscent of Hendrix, before dropping into a blues-infused outro which shows off The Black Keys front-man Dan Auerbach’s influence as producer of the album nicely. ‘Mess Around’ continues in the same vein, with fluctuating, theramin-sounding accompaniments to the chorus and a palpably energetic baseline.
The album has an eclectic nature that makes it difficult to predict, and that makes the contrast between songs a pleasant surprise. This is a fact that is particularly noticeable when the restless relentlessness of ‘Cold Cold Cold’ gives way to the laid back serenity of ‘Trouble’. The slow pace continues with ‘How Are You True’, the lyrics of which drip with melancholy amid a backdrop of understated guitar and bitter-sweet strings, before rising into the infectious ‘That’s Right’.
‘Punching Bag’, being the penultimate track, marks the beginning of a very strong ending for the Kentucky band’s latest offering. With a pounding bass drum and toe-tapping guitar, as well as an ear worm of a chorus, it’s reminiscent of the band’s early albums. As is ‘Portuguese Knife Fight’, which closes proceedings. A simple riff during the verse accompanied by menacing bass as well as Shultz’s sassy singing makes for a welcome throwback to the more punk influenced days of old.
As the final note echoes into silence, it’s clear that this is a band on a path of discovery. With their early works so heavily influenced by the movements that birthed so much of the rock music we listen to now, this record, along with Melophobia represents a journey into an independent sound, which is beginning to mark them out as a major force in the world of alt-rock, and we we can’t wait to hear what’s next.
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