“Chasing down a dream, like a shadow in the breeze.”

Cage the Elephant have claimed that Neon Pill, their first offering of new material since 2019’s Social Cues, is their first uninspired album. Meaning that for the first time in their career they’ve intentionally sought to shrug off the influence of classic acts like The Pixies and Nirvana who’ve loomed large over their previous output. I’m not sure I buy it. Take a listen to ‘Metaverse’—that could have been a deep cut from The Strokes’ Room on Fire, no? Elsewhere you’ll find Cake and Queens of the Stone Age and others. At least the influences are new, I guess, but who ever said influences were a bad thing? It’s imitation that causes irritation.

Trying to avoid the fate of becoming a nostalgia act and transcend old hits like ‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked’ (Cage the Elephant), ‘Shake Me Down’ (Thank You, Happy Birthday), and ‘Cigarette Daydreams’ (Melophobia), the band tries on these new costumes with wavering enthusiasm to wildly varying levels of success. They occasionally claw their way into a memorable moment—the choppy, energetic opener ‘HiFi (True Light)’ or the groove, drum fills, and sublime bridge of ‘Ball and Chain’—however, it’s hard to shake the sense that their sound on this album is neither new nor on par with their best material.

The first half of the album certainly sounds like the band trying to put a respectable foot forward, as most of the songs are decent by-the-numbers indie rock with cliché themes and sticky choruses. ‘Rainbow’ in particular is a fun, catchy, but ultimately forgettable pop-rock love song, while ‘Out Loud’, an emotive ode to bandleaders Matt and Brad Schultz late father, is a piano ballad that never expands beyond its single motif. On the backside they relax a little bit, allowing that familiar sense of playfulness to creep in, delivering a few low-key anthems in ‘Good Time’ and ‘Silent Picture’ but also sneaking in some filler as well. Closer ‘Over Your Shoulder’ strips things down in the classic rock tradition, resulting in one of the least affected, most enjoyable songs on the album.

For all the obvious talent here, Neon Pill feels like journeyman’s work done with too little passion—which might make sense given the band’s openness about personal struggles in the five years since their last release. But anyway, it’s not bad work if you can get it, and most of these songs will play well in a live setting, which is where bands like Cage the Elephant make a living.

Favorite Tracks: HiFi (True Light); Ball and Chain; Good Time; Silent Picture; Over Your Shoulder.