Cage The Elephant have been gearing up for the release of their new album Social Cues next week with a ton of news over the last couple months. There have been a handful of singles, a song with Beck, and a tour announcement that finds them partnering with Beck live, as well. The band has shared yet another single with us today, and it’s a doozy. Prepare for an emotional experience listening to Cage The Elephant’s new track “Goodbye.”
As the band has previously mentioned, Social Cues takes much of its inspiration from the end of one of vocalist Matt Shultz’s relationships. “Goodbye” is the album’s final track, and it feels like the final word on said relationship. It’s soft and slow, built around haunting piano chords. Schultz is thoughtful here, reflecting on the unavoidable end looming over him. There’s no ill will here, and he takes time to focus on the good times as well as the bad. Still, there’s a deep and total sorrow in the music and in his voice that makes it clear there’s no salvaging the situation; it is well and truly over. His attempts at working his way through this knowledge and the gloom he feels is powerful and affecting, and will surely have an even greater effect at the end of the album.
You won’t have to wait long to find out. Social Cues is out next Friday, April 19, through RCA Records. You can listen to “Goodbye” now after the jump.
