By Anna Trikas

On October 29, alternative rock band Cage the Elephant released their newest track, “Mess Around.” This Outkast inspired jam has a raw, electric sound, different than the nostalgic and psychedelic feel of their most recent album, Melophobia, released in 2013. It’s clearly got some hard rock influence – most likely since it was written alongside Dan Auerbach, the musical genius behind The Black Keys and The Arcs. Cage the Elephant told Consequence of Sound that working with Auerbach was “a perfect choice for that. [He] has a deep knowledge of obscure pop music, both current and from the past.” That can’t be doubted, as Auerbach is known for producing many hits with other artists, including Lana Del Rey and Damon Dash – as well as creating his own hit tunes as a solo musician.

“Mess Around” is both insanely catchy and well structured. As the band prepares to release Tell Me I’m Pretty, on December 18, it’s evident that though their styles and techniques may have changed over the past few years, many aspects of their music have remained the same – garage sounding electrics, a catchy beat, and Matt Shultz’ vocals, all characteristics of their unique work. Fans can expect a truly great album coming up, as Cage the Elephant have yet to disappoint audiences. So far, it seems like the band can do no wrong, and I know I’ll be eagerly waiting for December 18.