Opening with lo-fi sound effects broken by a snappy snare drum and crunchy, bright guitar riff, Social Cues (released April 19, 2019) begins with a weird, alt-rock jam entitled “Broken Boy” that perfectly sets up the listener for the saddest Cage the Elephant album ever. The energy in the first song is largely unmatched throughout the rest of the album, but this was a calculated move — it perfectly transitions into the more melancholy eponymous track. A lot of this album revolves around stripped down verses that are dominated by steady drums, fuzzy bass, and a narrative style of singing. These songs eventually glide into simple, yet melodically pleasing choruses that all feel incomprehensibly catchy.
Social Cues is an incredibly sad album all the way throughout. However, it is fully aware of its own melancholic nature — it does not try to be something that it is not, but instead tells a heartbreaking story that is perfectly accompanied by the music. Despite criticisms from some (such as Consequence of Sound) that the album sounds too formulaic and pop-driven, I think that the semi-predictable verses and choruses play into the general somber vibe of the whole album. Not only this, but there are also just way too many delicate intricacies that a normal pop album would be missing, including the psychedelic chorus-effect permeating the (background) guitar in “Social Cues.”
Still, one of the qualities that impressed me the most throughout the entirety of this record was how perfectly tailored it was to be a Cage the Elephant album. Every note, as well as every pause was played to every band members’ strengths in an almost miraculous way. If any other band tried to do what Social Cues does, it would fall spectacularly short. This is not a display of my potential biases, but rather a testament to how fantastic this group gels together on this record. They gave a heartbroken singer, Matt Shultz, enough empty space to tell his story — a story that is carried wonderfully by the tone of his voice over the unhurried music. On most songs, the drums are incredibly simple, but in a great way. Not to be controversial, but the drums here almost feel as if Ringo Starr was actually good — there are no difficult parts, but unlike the Beatles’ drummer, the drum parts definitely made all the songs sound better.
A particular highlight of the album was “Black Madonna.” From the drumbeat that kicks it off to the unique tones of the melodies playing over it, this song perfectly encapsulates all the strongest elements of the record. The verses are interesting and flow beautifully into an unforgettable chorus that will have anyone singing along by the second time it comes around. Another highlight was the third single, “Night Running,” which featured the bizarrely peculiar and talented Beck. This quasi-reggae-hip hop song is so far out of Cage the Elephant’s comfort zone, and although I am happy it was the only song of its kind on the album, I cannot imagine this record without it — something would have been missing if “Night Running” had not been written. “The War is Over” has a groovy bassline under a beautiful chord progression that sets the landscape for (as expected) powerful lyrics and voice. In all honesty, I would keep listing album highlights, but pretty much every song seems so valuable to this record as a whole that I would just end up gushing over the qualities of all 13 tracks. This album is an absolute must-listen for everybody. It has enough pop elements to attract an audience that may not normally listen to them, but it also exploits many of the band’s strengths, which will be sure to excite their already existing fan-base.
Rating: 8.9/10
Article by Shayan Shirkhodai