Some bands develop a signature sound and choose to play it safe by limiting themselves to that specific sound with little to no variation within their music. Sometimes this gamble pays off and the band continues to experience success. Other bands however, end up dissolving and are never heard from again. When it comes to the band Cage the Elephant, they do not place limits on themselves, as they are constantly experimenting with different sounds. Cage the Elephant were formed in 2006 and started out as a five-piece band. Their first album was released in 2008, which produced their big hit “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.” The band’s second album Thank You, Happy Birthday had a strong punk rock sound to it, while their third album Melophobia was more experimental.
Following the release of Melophobia, Cage the Elephant experienced a change in their lineup when lead guitarist Lincoln Parish announced his departure from the band, making them a four-piece group. The band became a six-piece ensemble in 2017 with the addition of Nick Bockrath on lead guitar and Matthan Minster on keyboards and guitar. In that same year, they released a live album titled Unpeeled. Cage the Elephant released their fifth album Social Cues on April 19, 2019, which contains thirteen tracks.
The album commences with the track “Broken Boy” and the introduction has a bit of an eerie vibe to it with the sounds of the keyboard. The drums, guitar, and bass come in to play at the 25 second mark in addition to the somewhat distorted vocals of Matt Shultz. At the chorus of the song, the guitar produces a high-pitched, distorted note, which further intensifies the composition.
The lyrics appear to be conveying the story of a man who was led to believe that he would receive a life of fame and fortune only to find that he was being lied to. “I was bit by the whisper of a soft liar. I was promised the keys to an empire.” The sharp, piercing, fuzzy sound of the guitar drops out quickly, leaving the drums, guitar, and bass to close out the remainder of the song. “Broken Boy” reminded me of a personal situation that I encountered during my last year of college. Two of the professors kept telling me that I would still be able to gain meaningful employment even though I did not have my teaching license. I was upset with them because I knew that my options were going to be limited and I knew that they knew this as well, yet they continued to lie to me anyway.
“Social Cues” is the second track off the album and it begins with the sounds of the steel guitar paired with the bass, drums, and keyboards. The lyrics serve to tell the story of how fame and fortune can have a negative impact on the singer or band. In the chorus of the song, Matt Shultz sings “Hide me in the back room, tell me when it’s over. Don’t know if I can play this bar much longer.”
These lyrics hint at the notion of anxiety that any performer faces when they are being pressured to succeed in the music industry. The second verse of the song contains some very dark lyrics. “Take some of these, they’ll ease the pain. Live fast, die young, pay the price.” Time and time again, we have heard so many stories of countless rock stars who resort to drug use to help cope with the stress and pressures of being famous. As a result, some of them end up making the ultimate sacrifice, which often results in their own death. When I finished listening to this song, I was left feeling sad as this is the ugly, unfortunate side of being famous, which is rarely seen by the public.
“Ready to Let Go” may have an upbeat tempo, but when you listen to the song’s lyrics, it is the complete opposite The lyrics are very personal, for they were inspired by Matt’s troubled marriage to his wife Juliette Buchs. In the first verse, Shultz sings, “On both sides a vow was broken” implying that both individuals were responsible for the relationship coming to an end. I especially love the imagery within the lyrics, for they serve to create a visualization of how Matt viewed his relationship with Juliette. “A puff of smoke, bed of ashes.” The keyboard produces an intense, pulsating chord that almost mimics the sound of a heartbeat. The guitar solo at the 2:25 mark has a high-pitched sound, emoting the feelings of pain and sadness. After I finished listening to this song, I could not help but feel sympathetic towards Matt Shultz, as this divorce had a significant impact on him.
I was taken by surprise to hear such a soft, mellow compostion on this album, as this is not something I would associate with Cage the Elephant. “Love’s the Only Way” starts out with the sound of violins, which sets the tone for this somber tune. As the song progresses, it begins to unfold with the keyboards and guitar making an entrance at the 30 second mark. “There’s gotta be a place. Love’s the only way.” As Matt Shultz sings these lyrics, listeners can gain a sense at how much he wants to find peace and love despite the fact that he is feeling depressed and defeated at the moment.
At the chorus, the vocals become harmonized and there is an echo effect within the vocals at the 1:15 – 1:17 range, which makes the song even more dramatic. Shultz closes out the song by singing the word oh four times in a row, but the last time he utters the word, it delivers a painful, yet haunting sound that is strong enough to send chills down the spine of listeners. After listening to this song, I felt sad , as it reminded me of my own life. When I realized that my relationship was coming to an end, I felt sad and defeated and I often wondered if I would ever find love again.
The last track on the album is titled “Goodbye” and much like the song “Love’s the Only Way”, it has a soft, depressing sound to it. The track commences with the sound of the piano, accompanying the vocals of Matt Shultz, but it gradually develops along the way. At the chorus of the song, Matt is accompanied by backup singers, violins, and guitar. The lyrics convey the heartache that was endurded within his marriage. “ How’d I become the thorn in your side?” Matt seems to be questioning how he could have caused his wife to have so much pain. “I want to scream, I want to laugh, I want to close my eyes.”
All of these emotions that Matt experienced proved to be overwhelming for him and he soon realized that it was time for him to let go of this relationship and move on. As I was listening to the song, I began to reflect on my past. I formed a friendship with a girl in high school and we remained friends for six years. Our friendship was emotionally volatile, for we had frequent arguments that lead to widespread periods of us not speaking to each other. Even though we tried so hard to stay on good terms, we just could not stop arguing. As a result, our friendship came to an end and we went our separate ways.
In regards to the rest of the songs on the album, I felt that they were beginning to sound too similar to the other tracks that I previously highlighted and therefore, were not worth mentioning. Social cues is by far the most personal body of work that the band has created, as it sheds light on the realities of being a famous rock star and how it affects one’s professional and personal life. The album also experiments with a wide array of sounds from garage rock to string and piano based ballads. After listening to the album, I was left feeling heavy hearted because the music contained so much pain and heartache and some of the songs actually made me cry. Matt Shultz has always had a knack for telling stories and this time, he was giving his listerners a snapshot of his own life story.
