Cage the Elephant has impressed yet again. Their new LP, Social Cues features lead vocalist Matt Schultz singing melodies that bring back the style of albums past. Although some rhythms and drums are similar to albums past, Social Cues brings new, insightful lyrics about the perils of life and love. 

Matt Schultz wrote a few of the Social Cues tracks about his recent divorce with his wife of 7 years. All sappy heartbreak songs, Schultz’s sadness and regret are more than present.  Lyrics such as “I’m so sorry honey, for what I’m becoming” express his remorse at his past actions. The song “Goodbye” is just a straight up break up letter. This album is not just a venting mechanism for Schultz, it is a way of realizing and coming to terms with his past mistakes. 

The tracks have a good amount of bass guitar and drums which some would consider as the bands signature. However, Social Cues seems to have more string melodies and guitar backing vocals than albums past.  The ballads “Love’s the Only Way” and “What I’m Becoming” both feature string as an intro, amplifying both the emotion and authenticity of Schultz’ voice. These songs’ mournful lyrics portray characters hiding or running away from life issues or love. 

My favorite songs from the album are “Skin and Bones” and “The War Is Over”. The unique guitar and drum pieces on these tracks are extremely pleasant to the ear. Synth paired with heavy bass on “The War Is Over” gives off an almost psychedelic vibe. Lyrics such as “you can build your walls, love will tear it down” in “The War Is Over”  reaches back to the album’s overarching theme of love and heartbreak and coming to terms with past conflicts. Overall, I give this album a 9/10 for its clean production and interesting lyrics.