Cage the Elephant rip up retro rock on new album Tell Me I'm Pretty [Review]
Thanks to bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the 1960s produced some of the most soulful rock of all time. On fourth album Tell Me I'm Pretty, US quartet Cage the Elephant channel the same heartfelt retro rock, and add their own touch of grit and paranoia.
Happy-go-lucky opener Cry Baby sets a light-hearted tone with bubblegum guitar-led wooziness. But beneath the carefree singing, there's a heavy sense of pessimism as frontman Matthew Shultz mourns a short and loveless life.
This sentiment resurfaces in the grungy Cold Cold Cold and the dream-folk Trouble, with clappy, catchy chorus, hearty beats and lyrics "Got so much to lose/Got so much to prove/God don't let me lose my mind".
The band keeps the genre sounding fresh with storytelling twists and climaxes. Sweetie Little Jean, with its thumping beats and dramatic guitar, depicts a girl who disappears, while stomper Punchin' Bag portrays a woman fed up with enduring domestic abuse.
For those who love a nostalgic rock sound, yet seek new intrigue, Tell Me I'm Pretty is worth a visit.