Thank You, Happy Birthday

Cage The Elephant manages to express itself as freely and sincerely as possible

Each band has its own story, its own destiny. Some collectives spend years searching for their sounding, and crowds of fans do not come to see their concerts at the beginning. Others are formed by friends and even relatives who perfectly understand each other and become a matched team at once which makes it easier to create successful songs. This is the young band Cage The Elephant’s case; it was formed in Kentucky in 2006. After one of their first successful performances the musicians signed a deal with Relentless Records and moved to London where they released their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album in 2008. Releasing the best songs as singles, including the hit Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked, Cage The Elephant performed intensively supporting the first work until finally setting to record the new material. The band’s fans have been happy to know that this year begins with its sophomore effort Thank You Happy Birthday, which proves to be an even more interesting and fascinating collection than its predecessor. The musicians have obviously matured, enlarged their outlook, become braver and managed to express themselves as freely and sincerely as possible on the second album.

Wisdom can be heard on each track on Thank You Happy Birthday

The album Thank You Happy Birthday could have been released earlier but then Cage The Elephant’s level would have remained the same. After all the concerts in Great Britain the guys returned to their motherland and got into self-education in music though they had more than fifty draft ideas for new songs in store. The climax of that preparation was an improvised two week long vacation far from city’s noise which resulted in writing completely new songs. The key songwriter, vocalist Matt Shultz chose a new creed – to sing bravely about everything that worries and interests him at the moment. If it had been the unfair surrounding world on the debut album, then on the second one the songs’ protagonist is trying to understand himself but this is not just introspection but expressing that he is not happy with himself as part and even as source of outer trouble. Such wisdom definitely deserves praise, being heard on each of the record’s twelve tracks, both in the accompaniment and in the lyrics. The heavy, creaky guitars and a teasing tone in vocals on the opening track Always Something is a great example; it is followed by Aberdeen, the catchiest song in the band’s entire repertoire. Indy Kidz on which punk meets classic rock conquers with the drummer and guitarist’s works but the instruments sounds even better on Shake Me Down, the melodious and very emotional first single. The topical song Sell Yourself is devoted to self-identification in the modern society conditions, whereas the emotions reach their peak in the penetrating guitar and Matt’s loudest vocals on Around My Head. The album closes with the longest number Flow, lasting almost eight minutes on which emotions give way to melancholic reflection.

One of the best young bands to date

Vocalist Matt Shultz, guitarist Brad Shultz, bassist Daniel Tichenor, guitarist Lincoln Parish, and drummer Jared Champion – it looks like we should memorize these names for the quintet Cage The Elephant will definitely achieve a lot. The critics have already dubbed it one of the best young bands today, and its music is really good, first of all, with the mood and the thoughts expressed in it for they are shared by many young people nowadays. Add to this the strongest emotions especially at live performances and you will get why Cage The Elephant’s fan base keeps growing so fast. The heat goes off-scale at its concerts all the time – Matt dives into the crowd and finds a great deal of other ways to drive it crazy. Two songs from Cage The Elephant’s debut album have become soundtracks for a movie and a videogame, and one can be sure that the second album’s hits are going to be in demand, too. Due to the joint effort of the musicians and producer Jay Joyce who has also worked on the debut record the album Thank You Happy Birthday keeps the listener in tension until the last minute expressing protest against the existing stereotypes and urging the listeners to understand themselves. It is exactly the recording that combines smart thoughts, high quality, interesting arrangements and powerful vocals each of the parameter deserving the highest rating.