Cage the Elephant never stale

Cage the Elephant will be playing at 8 p.m. Thursday at The Chelsea. (Courtesy)

The title of Cage the Elephant’s latest album, “Melophobia,” means “fear of music.”

So, what are these dudes afraid of, exactly?

Stasis, easy success, easier categorization — or some combination thereof.

On “Melophobia,” it would have been easy, and probably commercially beneficial, for the band to revisit the hooky garage-blues blasts of their self-titled 2008 debut, which spawned the hit single “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and went gold.

Instead, they created an endearing, wayward pastiche of nervy rock ’n’ roll that ranges from the primal to the pretty, consistent in its zeal for indulging creative whims if not sound.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow on Twitter @JasonBracelin.