by Eric L. Haschert

Created on: August 22, 2009

Cage the Elephant's debut album Cage the Elephant is what every group wants in a first album. Unfortunately Billboard.com has no info on their first single Ain't No Rest for the Wicked. It just says it's hit the charts. Which is disappointing to say the least but from my own point of view it is definitely a hit!

If you think the lead singer sounds a bit like Bob Dylan you are not imagining things.

The first song on the album has yet to be released as a single if it ever is. It's called In one Ear and talks about the band's critics and what they have to say and what the band feels about them. It's a pretty catchy tune and is fun to listen to.

James Brown is a bit shorter than the first being number 2 on the album puts it in an unremarkable place, but the tune is anything but - it's about a man who lives in chaos and loves it.

I heard Ain't No Rest for the Wicked. number 3 on the album. And I thought it must be a stroke of genius why did no one write a song about that before? The song is a metaphor, about how some people do the lowest things because they think they must in order to do what they gotta do, and how we're not all that different from them.

Tiny Little Robots number 4 on the album is a social commentary on Pop stars and how they are leading us all to destruction through our children first.

Lotus number 5 on the album is an observation upon where we as humanity are headed and how we seem to hate each other over religious differences causing war. How we'll all lose in the end because the universe rolls on.

Back against the Wall number 6 on the album is about someone being hung out to dry for their past deeds and never being forgiven.

Drones in the Valley number 7 on the album mentions our being lost as a nation and our feeding off the devil's lies so others can make money from our hardships.

Judas number 8 on the album seems to be commenting on someone's behavior but who is not clear they are clearly compared with Judas.

Back Stabbin' Betty number 9 on the album is more straight forward and funny a bit risque with its use of profanity but definitely fun to listen to.

Sail to the Sun number 10 on the album is about the end of the world as the author witnessed it and its basis in reality and how it might actually happen like it had before.

Free Love number 11 on the album is as simple as it sounds.

Musically the album is great. No song sounds like another while they've all got a catchy line here and there they are not over used as an attempt to enforce a catch phrase on the audience. The lead singer Matt Shultz's Dylan-esque singing counterpoints the beat and melody of the music rather well.

The band is made up of five members: Matt Shultz the front man and lead singer, Brad Shultz and Lincoln Parish on guitar, Daniel Tichenor on Bass and Jared Champion on drums.

The band comes from the Bowling Green Kentucky and says they want to write music that comes from the heart, not from some contrived public image.

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