Release Date: January 11, 2011
As far as band names go, Cage The Elephant is the perfect moniker to describe the experience one has when listening to, or seeing, this band. It’s a beast that, on its debut in 2008, showed us what a healthy mix of punk and old Kentucky blues could do. It was riveting, sweaty, loud and, most importantly, did not disappoint.
With round two at the ready, Cage The Elephant goes bigger as it tries to impress with much more emphasis on in-your-face riff heavy rock. What we get are stadium-sized tunes and a band that’s done with the small time.
On the one hand, Thank You, Happy Birthday is as close to punk rock as Elephant has been thus far. “Sell Yourself” is out of its mind with Stooges-like moans and groans in the vocals as its chaotic rhythm is punctuated by punk sarcasm and screams. It’s quite the homage to the late ’70s with driving drums and jagged guitars.
Matt Shultz rages on being anti-everything, shouting against T.V. and conformity as the band pummels through a series of ringing bridges and loud moshing distortion. In the same vein, both “Sabertooth Tiger” and “Japanese Buffalo” give and give with an unflinching aggression that’s brilliant. That’s the kind of energy that gave this band a place in music, and it’s only been pushed further here.
On the other hand, Happy Birthday is equally a modern rock album, pitching much of its previous down-home sound for one with more radio familiarity. “Right Before My Eyes” is a considerably milder track, taking a standard rock formula approach. In earnest they work in the grit and honesty, and at best it feels comfortably radio-friendly.
Keeping the band straight in its stab at wider appeal are tracks like opener “Always Something,” an adulterous track about sneaking around. It is quite devious with a slick bassline and catchy UK-inspired riffs. On the introspective side, album closer “Flow” gives listeners seven minutes of creative acoustic-based roots rock. There’s a heart lying below the aggression, as the album drifts off calmly.
What pulls Happy Birthday together is simple. Cage The Elephant has found a way to mesh the varying styles thanks to its penchant for using strong blues rhythms as the backbone for everything it does.
It’s this that keeps Happy Birthday grounded, and while the album takes the band through some new ideas, it isn’t that far from home for them. Those new ideas however give listeners a creative push forward that develops the still very fresh band.
It’s obvious Cage The Elephant is looking to step up in the music world. To its advantage, the sophomore slump does not apply here, and it sounds as though the band may get its wish. Ultimately Cage The Elephant wants what all bands want — recognition, and it’s out to get more of it. Happy Birthday gives them the momentum, now they just have to figure out what to do with it.
Thank You, Happy Birthday Tracklist
- “Always Something”
- “Aberdeen”
- “Indy Kidz”
- “Shake Me Down”
- “2024”
- “Sell Yourself”
- “Rubber Ball”
- “Right Before Your Eyes”
- “Around My Head”
- “Sabertooth Tiger”
- “Japanese Buffalo”
- “Flow”
