Indie rock band, Cage the Elephant released their 6th album Neon Pill on May 17th, 2024, consisting of a 12-song tracklist.
Neon Pill serves as the band’s latest release since their last album Social Cues in 2019. Throughout the 5-year gap, the band went through a lot of drastic changes and life-changing moments, including working through the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. Lead singer, Matt Shultz, reveals that Neon Pill is purely uninfluenced – the singer underwent a troublesome time after suffering a mental psychosis and gun charges. Schultz claimed the album didn’t grab any references or inspiration from other music or media, making this release much more raw and euphoric.
The album opens with “Hifi (True Light),” which hits the listener with a bit of a fast-paced rhythm and sound straight off the bat, but Shultz’s vocals keep the sound down to earth as always and makes for an amazing first track introduction. It leads straight into the second track “Rainbow,” which instantly became a fan favorite upon the album’s release, as it has a slower beat and relaxing vibe that resembles their old indie-rock vibe. The song’s main chorus, “You lift me up when I get down, right ’round. Got me floating like a rainbow”.
“Neon Pill” and “Metaverse” were two of the singles released before the album dropped, both of which were also shown to be fan favorites, followed by the release of “Good Time” and “Out Loud.” All four singles were amazing to show contrast in each other, with “Out Loud” being more of a ballad. Each song showed what the album had to offer, as each track had its own recreation of the indie-rock sound fans know and love. The range tied together each of the singles, making the album overall have a stronger groove.
“Ball And Chain” was another interesting track – both vocally and instrumentally, with guitar, drums, and bass taking more of the lead. Lyric-wise, the song tells the feeling of being stuck both mentally and physically, “Lost sense of direction, just a shadow in the haze. My Parasitic past life, halfway in a daze.” The song strikes hot in terms of connecting with everyone’s experiences of remaining stagnant, whether it’s put into perspective of the 2020 Pandemic or a much more personal experience. “Shy Eyes”, “Silent Picture”, and “Same” continue to carry an indie/alternative rock sound. “Shy Eyes” carries a louder, heavier, fast-paced sound, while the other two songs slow down the sound – each still carrying the same element of
The album closes with another slower ballad, “Over Your Shoulder”, which is dedicated to the Schultz Brothers’ father, who passed away in 2020. The song tells a story with implications of remembering the past and choices made along the way, and to keep moving forward to the future “Just a drop, life moves fast / So, outta my head now, laying my head down / Don’t look back over your shoulder / Im not saying don’t ask / When it gets colder, every season will pass.” In comparison to the album’s predecessor Social Cues, which is predominately written in the perspective of processing grief, the song serves as a poignant close to the album but a bright and shiny opening to Cage the Elephant’s new future.
Overall, Neon Pill captured the band’s true emotion through realistic storytelling and metaphors – emotions coming from navigating isolation to overcoming multiple obstacles. The album almost felt like an outlet to showcase their views and struggles in the way that they could through new music and lyricism. The album itself doesn’t stray too far from other Cage the Elephant albums, but you can still sense the band’s change and growth. While some tracks fall flat with some fans, the album is a great encapsulation of the band’s previous works through blending new sounds with their classic taste. Cage the Elephant will continue to jump through hoops no matter what, but they will only move upward from there.
Cage the Elephant’s Neon Pill tour begins on June 20th through September 18, with supporting acts Young the Giant, BAKAR, Willow Avalon, and Vlad Holiday.
I am a photographer, musician, and cosplayer, based in Austin! I spend a lot of time traveling around for events, and am constantly creating things, listening to music, playing bass guitar, or finding new hobbies to indulge in. I love being surrounded by music, and you can almost always catch me listening to some emo or pop-punk music.
