Album: Cage The Elephant, Thank You Happy Birthday (Relentless)

The Kentucky combo Cage the Elephant manage to find a new wrinkle on the face of US indie-punk, thanks to an enthusiasm for yoking catchy melodies to abrasive guitar riffs that recalls the Pixies.

Tracks like "Right Before My Eyes" – a rejection of worldly antagonism that recurs later in acoustic form – and the single "Shake Me Down" have a powerful, anthemic appeal that matches their positive outlook. A cross between Green Day and The Shins, the latter finds them determined not to get sucked in by depression: "Even on a cloudy day, I'll keep my eyes fixed on the sun". Elsewhere, "Always Something" warns about lurking, unseen dangers over a jerky, muscular riff in classic Gang of Four style, while "Indy Kidz" employs serrated guitar slashes to drive home its dissatisfaction with TV's "box of lies".

DOWNLOAD THIS Right Before My Eyes; Shake Me Down; Flow