Anyone who has been listening to KROQ or 987 over the last two years has no doubt heard of Cage the Elephant. You know, they’re that band that reaffirmed the age-old adage that “there ain’t no rest for the wicked” while singing with their “back[s] against the wall.” On the strength of three top five modern rock singles and stints at high-profile music festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, the band is back with some new material.

Album delivers distortion, melody, and social commentary

After a whirlwind 2009-2010 period which saw them rise to the pantheon of the alterna/indie scene, Cage the Elephant has turned up the volume for album No. 2, titled “Thank You, Happy Birthday.” The young up-and-coming rock band takes all the positives from their eponymous debut record and amplifies them on their new project. The distortion is even more abrasive and the howling vocals from Matthew Schultz are rowdier than ever – think The Strokes on a sugar high.

But at the same time, one can’t deny the presence of diamond melodies amidst the proverbial rough. A song like “Right Before My Eyes” sounds like it has crossover pop hit written all over it. But for every melodic masterpiece, there are also amelodic songs like “Indy Kidz,” a satirical critique on the cooler-than-thou hipsters, with Schultz sarcastically droning “I wanna be just like you.”

“Always Something” will remind you of the poverty-themed “Aint No Rest for the Wicked.” Cage the Elephant showcases their fascination with the wretched portions of society while letting you know they are looking at the situation from the outside with a detached interest that would make Cake proud.

Band’s influences apparent

The band unabashedly borrows from their influences, at times channeling the anger of punk and grunge. They pay their respects to Nirvana in the song “Aberdeen,” named after the late singer Kurt Cobain’s hometown. The familiar sludgy guitar sound that used to emerge from Cobain’s electric guitar is found in this song, though Schultz’s vocals lack the snarl of Nirvana. It’s the melody in this song that will be lodged in the listener’s head for days.

The record’s first single, “Shake Me Down,” is a highlight with its perfect blend of indie minimalism and excessive hard rock. The song is led by gentle guitar picking, but is quickly interspersed between raucous drums, going from verse to chorus in equally schizophrenic fashion.

“2024” features a preppy pop punk groove, and is just as catchy as any other song on the album. Lincoln Parish’s lead guitar work here is fairly eclectic, with clean pop licks interspersed with fuzzy electric distortion.

One quiet track, one dud

Undoubtedly the most accessible track on the album is the aforementioned “Right Before My Eyes.” Previously debuted online as a somber, laid back acoustic track called “Timber Me Shivers,” the tune has undergone a facelift, replacing acoustic with electric and incorporating a mid-tempo drum pattern. A weary lyric about losing control of one’s life is widely identifiable in today’s world climate, and while the song doesn’t offer any solutions, is still comforting in its every-man appeal.

“Right Before My Eyes” remains an anomaly for the most part on this record however, as “Around My Head” and “Sabertooth Tiger” kick things back into high-octane gear. “Japanese Buffalo” sounds like it’s going to be a complete rip-off of Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” but becomes another noise fest with pointless lyrics that make this one of the few duds by Cage the Elephant. “Flow” closes the record as a shuffling song that will please the “indy kidz,” while the hidden acoustic version of “Right Before My Eyes” concludes the set.

This is a stellar sophomore effort from Cage the Elephant, who prove themselves to be worthy of sticking around for the long haul.