Original: February 8, 2011 Issue 10
By: Nicolas Moghaddam
Staff Writer
The band Cage the Elephant has avoided the so-called sophomore slump with its release of a new album, Thank You, Happy Birthday.
Right off the bat, with tracks “Always Something” and “Aberdeen”, Cage the Elephant comes at you with their catchy choruses and fast-paced verses. They keep up their pop rock in the hit “Shake Me Down,” before bringing a full blast of garage punk with the tunes “Indy Kidz” and “2024.”
While different from their debut album, you can rest assured that these are songs from Cage the Elephant. It is safe to say that the album stands up well to the New Year’s music.
It is worth nothing that, although primarily labeled as garage rock, Cage the Elephant is not bound to the rock song formula. This has potential to alienate people who are unfamiliar with the band or have only heard Cage the Elephant standards like “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and “Back Against the Wall.”
Overall, Thank You, Happy Birthday receives a passing grade and certainly is worth your ears’ time.