By Milan Polk ’16

Cage The Elephant, best known for their anthemic song “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” released their fourth studio album on December 18. ‘Tell Me I’m Pretty’ retains the varied sound the band is known for, sometimes ranging from sixties rock to modern indie flair. Not to mention the album’s producer was Dan Auerbach from the popular rock duo The Black Keys, which ensures a solid piece of work with precise artistry behind the scenes. At times, one can even hear the influence Auerbach no doubt weaved into the record.

The album begins with “Cry Baby,” a tambourine and guitar filled song with notable lyrics that speak of death, a recurring theme throughout the record. The same idea is expressed in Cage The Elephant’s previous albums, but unlike before, “Tell Me I’m Pretty” makes no attempt to hide the dreary motif with catchy noise that often drowned out the meaning of each song. The instruments on the current record instead accentuate the words and that tell stories of love lost or desired. It is a welcomed improvement from 2013’s “Melophobia,” which started and ended with memorable sound, but repetitive lyrics. The new album exemplifies a group perfecting their music.

A band’s goal is to keep up with the times and continuously change their sound while keeping their old fans and gaining new ones. Cage The Elephant does just that, using generally seventies rock undertones and channeling The Rolling Stones and The Who, especially in “Cold Cold Cold” and “That’s Right,” using what the band knows was successful in the past while simultaneously experimenting and creating songs that fans cannot help but wonder why they have not yet been produced. Lead singer Matt Shultz delivers with brilliant vocals that rise to the occasion for each track that have their own individual sound yet somehow work well together. There is clear cohesion in the record, and just enough so that the tracks do not sound repetitive.

“Tell Me I’m Pretty” is a presentation of Cage The Elephant’s growth as a band and desire to continue to be unique and iconic in the alternative music scene. Despite the many influences one can pick out, the record manages to sound unlike others and therefore set itself apart. Fans will find themselves playing this album on repeat, memorizing each poetic line and enjoying the rhythms.