The British have taken a shine to a band from Bowling Green, Kentucky called Cage the Elephant.

“Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” reached 32 on the UK Singles Chart. The song plays when you enter the band’s website and offers you an opportunity to “draw” on a multicolored canvas….something to while listening I suppose.

The band has spent some time in the UK and have made their way back to the states to make it back home. Not all reviews have been kind. A Drowned in Sound review by Charles Urbaghs has this to say:

With a back-story that includes a Christian upbringing in rural Kentucky, a pair of brothers among their members and early reports describing Axl Rose-style stage antics as they sing songs about ‘Free Love’, you’d be forgiven for thinking of *Cage the Elephant *as possible torchbearers for back to basics rock ‘n’ roll… or at the very least Kings of Leon 2.0.

Yet instead of the Followill brothers’ respectable Lynyrd Skynyrd crashing head-first into a pile of Tom Verlaine records sound, what we get on Cage the Elephant’s self-titled debut is a collection of radio-friendly alt-rock tunes with a southern twist and worrying dependency on Anthony Kiedis’ rap-rock-style vocals.

Momo will not be as harsh. The self titled album leaves me somewhere between the enthusiasm of the UK and Mr. Urbaghs less than glowing review. The album brims with raw passion and energy. Catchy and Blusey at times it can be as fresh as garage band with more than a little something on the ball. My concern is that it does not have staying power. Will I be reaching for this album 10 years from now?

I think not. I will be happy to hear the next release…perhaps it will have the staying power I now crave!

Tony Momo_ thirst partially quenched!

View tonymomo's Profile      Subscribe via RSS