Review Summary: They know what to do now.
Melophobia stands for "fear of music." In a way I can see how that theme relates to this LP, because Cage the Elephant have evolved into something weirder and it's quite lovely. I'd call it the search for ambition this time around, while they deliver monstrous hooks to the forefront backed by the beautiful instrumentation of destruction in the background to send your eardrums to shiver down your spine and end up in unspeakable places.
Not so much the songwriting I'm getting at, which is the same old same old nothing too special lingo, it's the production that Jay Joyce brings to the table. This is the sound that Cage the Elephant should and needs to expand on in future albums. Because they pull this off so much better than the blues punk style they were once known for. This sound is not too accessible to be boring, but not too obscure to be off-putting. This time around it's 10 relatively short tracks of psychedelic-stoner influenced garage rock chaos coupled with a few slow rockers that keep the flow of the album fresh in their installment of a hard hitting and dreamy Junior record. Cage the Elephant are known for their energetic performances, and this is the album they are going to prove that they are going full throttle on wild.
You already want the strangest song on the album? Check out "Teeth," the longest song on the album that is just a full out balls to the wall of a good time. The guitars are quirky and sassy pushing the vocals, "I can feel in in my teeth, and it's driving me crazy" through the fog of orchestral disaster, which dies down into a mad beat induced rant by front-man Matt Shultz, almost reminiscent of "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles.
Just hearing that one track makes me appreciate the diversity and experimentation of the album even more. "Telescope" is an ambient and mellow sugary tune that dissolves perfectly into the fiercely crisp, "It's Just Forever." The lead single, "Come a Little Closer" is a perfect song for a single, and it's an excellent song that doesn't diminish in it's mainstream popularity. The chorus is obviously what heightens the track to perfection. Psychedelic guitars, a groovy bassline, and "Come a Little Closer then you'll see. Things aren't always what they seem to be. Do you understand the things that you've been seeing? Do you see the things that you've been dreaming?" are all you can ask for in what might be the best song they've made thus far.
Of course there is room for improvement. It's a pretty short album, so what they are delivering needs to pack a punch, and it does a great job for the most part. The second half of the album is a little less memorable. Not so much filler wise, but they should have been revised, because they are definitely missing something here and there. Cigarette Daydreams is also not a bad song, but it's pretty anti-climatic for the final track. But I'm most certainly happy, as this is a mass improvement over their last album, "Thank you, Happy Birthday." I have high hopes for them and applaud them for not going in a totally boring and mainstream direction. Stay tricky, Cage the Elephant.
