Despite its ominous title ‘Melophobia’- the fear of music – there is nothing to fear from Cage The Elephant’s third album. In fact it should be embraced, as it’s the Kentucky outfit’s finest offering to date. The follow-up to 2011’s ‘Thank You, Happy Birthday’ sees the group continue down a more melodic path whilst retaining all the frantic fuzz rapture of their previous efforts. The shouty vocals that once permeated the band’s output have for the most part been quietly ushered out the back-door with singer Matthew Schultz instead focusing on the more earnest, soothing lilt and higher extremities of his voice, to great effect.

But this is not the only audible change in approach by the Kentucky quartet. A conscious decision to put away their record collections and lock themselves in the studio nil by ear if you will, means that the only musical influences active on this record is Cage The Elephant themselves and those embedded deep in their souls. The result is a record on which Cage The Elephant has never sounded more natural, combining the “us against the world” approach of garage rock with mainstream melody and influences as diverse as Buddy Holly, David Bowie and Motown simmer in fuzztone.

Daniel Tichenor’s walking basslines are in no small part responsible for much of the albums up-tempo oomph while Lincoln Parish’s guitar parts are weighted perfectly throughout the album, ranging from chainsaw to subtle arpeggios and neck bends. Cigarette Daydreams is arguably the best example of Parish’s subtle skills.

From the initial blast of Spiderhead it’s clear that Cage the Elephant have struck a rich melodic vein with pounding old school rock ’n’ roll piano underpinning a track which sounds like The Beatles being drowned in distortion as Matthew Schultz sings a split personality love song with murder ballad indicators “and as you stand over my grave.”

Surprisingly for an album that is so uplifting death is a major recurring theme throughout; “I’ll love you till we decompose and the skin falls off our bones” (It’s Just Forever); “sweet wheel of death keeps us holding our breath” (Take It Or Leave It). The fatalistic allure of the female form is another reoccurring theme throughout the album; “standing there with your red coat on French perfume looking vulnerable/black widow girl you sit and wait/till I climb into the web you made.” (Black Widow). Alison Mosshart of The Kills makes a surprise appearance as the femme fatale on It’s Just Forever; “promise that you’ll never leave me/promise that you’ll always need me/bring me your hand, taste of my skin/give me your heart like a hole in the head” which features an Aladdin Sane-esque piano outro.

Cage The Elephant pull off a rock ’n’ roll heist with Hypocrite borrowing the rhythm figure from On A Rope before its trombone and saxophone motifs steal it away into the dEUS-inspired spoken word of Teeth.

If only more bands would make themselves nil by ear in the recording process because ‘Melophobia’ is one of the most enjoyable, assured and yet confusing albums of the year. Its lyrics ask more questions than they answer, inviting the listener to decide who the villain is. Its music is the sound of a band having fun oblivious to anyone outside the room.