“Tell Me I’m Pretty” by Cage The Elephant
Since the beginning, Cage the Elephant has been one of the freshest and most creative voices on the scene. Capable of switching on a dime from aggressive, thrashing rock to tense restraint, Cage The Elephant has made a habit of keeping listeners on the edges of their collective seats.
Tell Me I’m Pretty is no exception. At times explosive, and at others awash with the group’s signature coiled melancholia, the album encapsulates the impossibly high standards that we’ve come to expect. Tell Me I’m Pretty saw the group turn to apparent super-human Dan Auerbach (Black Keys, The Arcs, etc.) for the production assist, and his fingerprints certainly evident. From muscled, fuzzy guitar licks to the more sonically sparse moments, Auerbach’s guidance helps showcase the depth of a group that now seems limitless.
“Too Late To Say Goodbye” is emotionally tempestuous and grimy, flavored by heavy vamps and raw vocals. It sounds like a drowning relationship feels. “Mess Around” is a fairly straightforward dive into the archives of CTE sounds. It rolls, it rocks, it wails, and it is in and out in a flash. “Trouble” is rife with floating intensity, and an airy guitar hook that belies the existential sharpness of the lyrics.
Cage The Elephant consistently finds ways to delight and surprise, and although Tell Me I’m Pretty is certainly darker than previous albums, it is nonetheless a must-listen as we close out a truly great year of music. »
– Charles Trowbridge
