CAGE THE ELEPHANT – ‘NEON PILL’

BY JANIN AYALA FELIX | MARCH 17, 2024 | ROCK | TRACKS

With “Neon Pill,” Cage the Elephant returns to their chaotic alt-rock roots, offering a raw and reflective glimpse into the band’s turbulent past year. Dropping as the first single from their forthcoming album of the same name, the track is an energetic, guitar-driven anthem drenched in themes of betrayal, substance abuse, and the reckless consequences that follow. It’s a fitting opener to a new chapter for the Kentucky-based rockers, showing that even after years in the industry, they’re still willing to bare it all—messy edges and all.

“Neon Pill” is as colorful as its title suggests, but it’s not just about the bright, synthetic hues. Instead, it’s about the bitterness beneath the gloss, with frontman Matt Shultz channeling his frustrations through lyrics that feel both cryptic and cutting. The song recounts a legal incident involving a band member in 2023, but it also delves into the emotional toll of addiction and the self-destructive patterns that come with it. “Double-crossed by a neon pill / Like a loaded gun, my love,” Shultz sings in the chorus, drawing a line between the allure of quick fixes and their inevitable fallout. It’s an anthem of consequence—an urgent cry from someone who’s lost control, spinning out on the metaphorical highway.

Musically, “Neon Pill” is quintessential Cage the Elephant: grungy, raw, and utterly infectious. The track opens with a sharp, steady guitar riff that anchors the song in familiar territory, evoking the alt-rock flair of their early albums. The verses, delivered with Shultz’s signature growl, are filled with biting imagery—“Birds of a feather, until the end / Stitched, patched up and sewed in”—painting a picture of loyalty tested by external forces, with drugs standing in as both the villain and the muse.

The chorus, though, is where “Neon Pill” truly takes flight. The band builds up the dynamics, with the guitars swelling and the drums intensifying, transforming the track from a steady burn into an explosive release. It’s anthemic and cathartic, reminiscent of the band’s breakout hits like “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and “Come a Little Closer,” but with a darker, more introspective edge. There’s also a hypnotic, vibey interlude midway through, featuring a vibrato-heavy melody that gives the song a psychedelic twist, pulling listeners deeper into its trance.

Lyrically, Shultz is at his best when he leans into surrealism, and “Neon Pill” is no exception. With lines like “The taste of your lip balm blew me away / Cherry palm chapstick, just like back in the day” and “I sailed the Atlantic / Bisou fatal le femme,” he creates a disorienting yet vivid atmosphere that perfectly captures the song’s themes of disillusionment and regret. The imagery feels hazy, as if viewed through the fog of a bad trip, further underscoring the song’s exploration of substance abuse and personal reckoning.

While “Neon Pill” offers no easy solutions—no neat resolutions for the struggles it portrays—it’s a track that demands attention. It’s heavy in its lyrical content but buoyed by the sheer energy of its arrangement, striking the perfect balance between introspection and a full-throttle rock ‘n’ roll assault. The song is a visceral reminder that Cage the Elephant still knows how to blend grit with groove, even as they grapple with the darker side of fame and the toll it takes.

With this single, Cage the Elephant sets the tone for their upcoming album, signaling that they’re ready to face their demons head-on while delivering the kind of infectious, rebellious sound that has always been their hallmark. “Neon Pill” is more than just a return to form—it’s a declaration that the band is still evolving, still raw, and still very much in control of their chaotic, cathartic brand of rock.

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