• Record Label: Red Ink
  • Release Date: Jan 11, 2011
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 57
  2. Negative: 0 out of 57
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  1. Jan 14, 2011
    10
    Une albulm vraiment l'fun à écouté, le Cage The Elephant style à son meilleur. C'est exactement ce à quoi on veux s'attendre quand on écoute un nouveau disque. Le tout est divertissant et diversifié. C'est simplement excellent. Thank You Happy Birthday est la pour comblé tout coeur.
  2. Apr 19, 2012
    10
    To be honest, it didn't really hit me as being all that great at first. I enjoyed their debut album a lot. I just keep finding myself coming back to this album time and time again. Once every couple of weeks, I will just listen through all of it. The variety of music on this album is great. I find that I don't get used to one particular sound throughout the whole album. It keeps youTo be honest, it didn't really hit me as being all that great at first. I enjoyed their debut album a lot. I just keep finding myself coming back to this album time and time again. Once every couple of weeks, I will just listen through all of it. The variety of music on this album is great. I find that I don't get used to one particular sound throughout the whole album. It keeps you on your toes. Good stuff. Expand
  3. Jan 13, 2011
    9
    Very good album. Song's are use for video game called "Borderlands", and they bring all the excitement in you. Strong lyrics make a great combination with the instruments.
  4. Jan 15, 2013
    8
    One of the best indie album si have ever heard, Key tracks would have to be ABERDEEN, SHAKE ME DOWN, IDIE KIDZ, AROUND MY HEAD, 2024 and SELL YOURSELF, A great album would definitely recommend.
  5. Sep 9, 2016
    8
    To be honest, it didn't really hit me as being all that great at first. I enjoyed their debut album a lot. I just keep finding myself coming back to this album time and time again. Once every couple of weeks, I will just listen through all of it. The variety of music on this album is great. I find that I don't get used to one particular sound throughout the whole album. It keeps you onTo be honest, it didn't really hit me as being all that great at first. I enjoyed their debut album a lot. I just keep finding myself coming back to this album time and time again. Once every couple of weeks, I will just listen through all of it. The variety of music on this album is great. I find that I don't get used to one particular sound throughout the whole album. It keeps you on your toes. Good stuff. Expand
  6. May 8, 2023
    8
    An album that I do really like. There are some real earworms in this album and every track is a banger but jeez my ears are sore by the end of the album. It has to be one of the most compressed albums that I have ever listened to
  7. Mar 12, 2011
    7
    The best way to describe this album is as 'sonic seizures.' The chaotic style that has become CTE's trademark fills this album. There is no lack of personality. At times it can be a little hard to listen to, but more times than not, it's filled with energetic punk-blues.
  8. Jun 8, 2011
    7
    Let's have a minor celebration for a band showing defined improvement simply because it occurs so infrequently these days. Kentucky rockers Cage The Elephant have distilled their tangled mess of post punk, garage and grunge and added a pop sensibility which makes "Thank You Happy Birthday" a more than worthy follow up to their 2008 self titled debut. Singer Matthew Shultz confidently mixesLet's have a minor celebration for a band showing defined improvement simply because it occurs so infrequently these days. Kentucky rockers Cage The Elephant have distilled their tangled mess of post punk, garage and grunge and added a pop sensibility which makes "Thank You Happy Birthday" a more than worthy follow up to their 2008 self titled debut. Singer Matthew Shultz confidently mixes howls, growls and shrieks with deliberate melodies, entrusting guitarist brother Brad and the rest of the band to enthusiastically bash out discordant noises with refreshing gusto. In addition, thereâ Expand
  9. Jan 30, 2011
    7
    A lot of the songs are a bit too hard to listen to, and the only song I actually love sounds a lot like a Green Day song, but it's still pretty good.
  10. Apr 9, 2011
    7
    I really like their sound on some of their songs, others are annoying or just barely tolerable. I thoroughly enjoyed Aberdeen, Shake Me Down, 2024, Indy Kidz and Right Before Your Eyes. I gave them all 8s. I also liked Flow and Around My Head. I give them 7s. The barely tolerable were Always Something, Sell Yourself, Japanese Buffalo and Rubber Ball. They get 6s. Don't bother listening toI really like their sound on some of their songs, others are annoying or just barely tolerable. I thoroughly enjoyed Aberdeen, Shake Me Down, 2024, Indy Kidz and Right Before Your Eyes. I gave them all 8s. I also liked Flow and Around My Head. I give them 7s. The barely tolerable were Always Something, Sell Yourself, Japanese Buffalo and Rubber Ball. They get 6s. Don't bother listening to Sabertooth Tiger. It's SUPER annoying. Expand
  11. j30
    Jul 20, 2011
    7
    Definitely a step forward from their first album. There's still work to be done on this band, but their future is bright as long as they don't sell-out like their song Sell Yourself warns. There's too many ideas going around and it makes the album feel uneven. One main influence I can draw from this album is obvious, the Pixies. Which is not a bad thing and should follow that idea ratherDefinitely a step forward from their first album. There's still work to be done on this band, but their future is bright as long as they don't sell-out like their song Sell Yourself warns. There's too many ideas going around and it makes the album feel uneven. One main influence I can draw from this album is obvious, the Pixies. Which is not a bad thing and should follow that idea rather than some of their other chaotic ones (Indy Kidz). I'm excited to see what they do next time around. Key Tracks: Always Something, Shake Me Down (way too overplayed), and Right Before My Eyes. Expand
  12. Feb 9, 2014
    7
    Thank You, Happy Birthday has it's moments but at times it's simply too harsh. Some songs are so intense that they're hard to listen to but those moments are few and far between and overall it is a pretty solid album, but it certainly is not for everyone.
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Q Magazine
    May 2, 2011
    80
    Matt Shultz makes a natural showman firmly in the mouth Perry Farrell mould. Front of house taken care of, it's then just a matter of pairing the noise and excitement, something they achieve in short, sharp bursts with room to spare. [Apr 2011, p.98]
  2. Kerrang!
    Mar 29, 2011
    80
    Taking cues from the Pixies and '90s grunge--Sell Yourself or Japanese Buffalo could be Pixies mainman Black Francis in a rage--but rowdier and caustic, they are compelling. [19 Mar 2011, p.51]
  3. Uncut
    Mar 29, 2011
    80
    They've sorted through a kitbag of 80 songs and made good on the potential. [Apr 2011, p.77]