Cage the Elephant: Thank You, Happy Birthday (2011)

Do you miss the alternative rock that dominated airwaves in the 90's? Cage the Elephant certainly does. They scored a fairly sizable hit last year with "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked" and while there's no song on Thank You, Happy Birthday that approaches that tracks instant gratification, it's a fine record nonetheless.

Cage the Elephant mashes up a lot of influences to create their brand of pure alternative rock. The music is a mix of some classic rock staples (Rolling Stones) but with the edge and energy of Nirvana or the Smashing Pumpkins. The drums sound huge, and the guitars even bigger. Vocalist Matthew Schultz sings and yells like he's paying Black Francis for the rights to sing in a Pixies cover band.  

Thank You, Happy Birthday certainly seems out of place in todays indie rock dominated rock landscape and they seem to realize it. "Indie Kidz" is a spastic slam of all things hipster, and the songs "2024," "Sell Yourself" and "Sabertooth Tiger," while not lacking in hooks, are pure garage rock rave ups. If I didn't know better it would be easy to mistake "Aberdeen," and "Around My Head" for covers of lost Pixies b-sides. While the heavy songs are the first to jump out at you, Cage the Elephant isn't afraid to calm down and show off their sensitive side. Both "Rubber Ball" and the album closer "Flow" are fine ballads. The first single "Shake Me Down" and "Right Between My Eyes" split the difference between the two extremes and are highly enjoyable pop rock tracks.

Before hearing Thank You, Happy Birthday, I was pretty skeptical of my chances of enjoying the album. I had only heard "Ain't No Rest" and while I enjoy that track greatly, it screamed one hit wonder to me. Thankfully Cage the Elephant is fully capable of making a full record of hard hitting and abrasive yet melodic alternative rock. There aren't too many popular bands out there currently making this kind of music and even though there's nothing too original going on, Thank You, Happy Birthday makes up for it with a rush of pure mid-90's style enjoyment. 

Rating: 4/5

Track listing:

1. "Always Something" - 3:41
2. "Aberdeen" - 3:12
3. "Indy Kidz" -5:02
4. "Shake Me Down" - 3:31
5. "2024" - 3:10
6. "Sell Yourself" - 2:11
7. "Rubber Ball" - 3:47
8. "Right Before My Eyes" - 3:14
9. "Around My Head" - 3:11
10. "Sabertooth Tiger" - 2:51
11. "Japanese Buffalo" - 3:03
12. "Flow" - 7:43