Review: Cage The Elephant - Tell Me I’m Pretty
The fourth album included in Cage The Elephant’s resume has a lot to live up to. The group’s worldwide success, and catalogue of chart topping hits from previous albums left many impressive expectations to fulfill. How was the band supposed to live up to the success of Melophobia? What album could the Kentucky boys possibly create that would satisfy both the lovers of their heavier sounds, and the cherishers of slower paced masterpieces such as “Cigarette Daydreams” and still hold a voice of its own? Their answer to the hype was Tell Me I’m Pretty. An excellent edition in Cage The Elephant’s collection, whether in the form of a CD, vinyl or digital file, Tell Me I’m Pretty deserves to be listened to this holiday season. Tell Me I’m Pretty effortlessly flows from alternative rock and roll, to head bobbing slow jams, to riffs that resemble the days of hand jives and back again. Being a Cage The Elephant fan’s dream album, Tell Me I’m Pretty delivers mindlessly fun music that, when closely examined, contain themes of courage, determination and the importance of people to lean on.
It is nearly impossible to not enjoy any of the songs from Tell Me I’m Pretty. Similar to most albums, Tell Me I’m Pretty follows the recipe for a good mixtape; rise-fall-rise. It is a simple system that has worked for decades, and is a system that will continue to work for decades to come. Tell Me I’m Pretty does not try to throw a curveball at the music industry, but instead they used the formula for their advantage. Cage The Elephant made an album that understood what it was, and they shaped it into the best version of itself that it could be, a great rock album. As they say, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.
Needless to say, Tell Me I’m Pretty contains a lot of great music. What surprised me was that when I first listened to it, I couldn’t decide on which songs were going to be released as singles for the radio. Every song on the album is radio worthy. Hopefully they release more than two or three singles, because all of the tracks deserve a piece of the spotlight. I would list a few track titles for you to look into, but if you want to experience good music, you are going to have to listen to the whole album. What I will say is that, one of the songs addresses domestic violence, and personally, it is the best song off of the album. Tell Me I’m Pretty‘s riffs and lyrics will transfix and empower you. Symbolizing alternative at its best, Tell Me I’m Pretty will please both new comers and fans alike.
Many of the tracks on this album will join the ranks among the names of common Cage The Elephant songs. These new songs will easily match up with long time fan favourites such as “Come A Little Closer” and “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked”, and they will be welcomed with open arms. There is an impressive selection of both Cage The Elephant’s slower songs and fast paced rock tracks included in Tell Me I’m Pretty. I had some very high expectations for the album, before listening to Tell Me I’m Pretty. Not only because of being a fan, but because Cage The Elephant was possibly my favourite act at X-Fest 2014. Luckily I was extremely satisfied with their new album, as will everybody else. It is because of music like this, that I cannot wait until they return to cowtown again.
