For the 1987 song by Alice Cooper, see Raise Your Fist and Yell.
Lock Me Up
EP
Artistthe Cab
CoverThe Cab - Lock Me Up.png
ReleasedApril 29, 2014
RecordedJanuary 2013
Genre
Length18:23
LabelRepublic
Producer
Prev year2011
Next year2025

Lock Me Up is the fourth EP by American rock band the Cab, released April 29, 2014 through Republic Records in the United States. The EP marks the band's first release since their second full-length studio album Symphony Soldier, released on August 23, 2011. In 2012, the band announced that they were in the studio writing and recording a new album and signed to Republic Records. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 44.

Background and release

Writing for the EP began in early June 2012, which was originally made for their third studio album.[1] The band began the progress of recording the EP in January 2013.[2][3] The group wrote 120 songs during the album/EP cycle and lead vocalist Alexander DeLeon described the EP as "a little darker." Former guitarist Ian Crawford played guitar for the EP.[4] On April 15, 2014, the group posted a teaser video with a date of April 29.[5] Then on April 21, they released a teaser for a new song.[6] A second teaser was released three days later, with the titled being revealed as "Lock Me Up".[7] The week prior to the EP's release, on April 24, guitarist and pianist Alex T. Marshall announced his departure from the band.[8] On April 28, the group released the EP's lead single, "Lock Me Up" and on the following day, the EP under the same name, was released.[9][10]

Sound and influence

Upon the EP's release, on April 29, the EP was described to have a "poppier/R&B influenced sound" and overall was a "collection of love songs" by Alter the Press.[11] The EP strives away from the band's previous studio album Symphony Soldier's pop punk and alternative rock sound and drives closer to a more recognizable radio friendly, dance-pop and R&B sound.[12] The EP's second track "Moon" is an electropop influenced track fit for top forty radio. The opening self-titled track, "Lock Me Up" reverts to the band's themes on Symphony Soldier, having a similar "thumping marching army" vibe.[11] The EP's third and fourth tracks; "Numbers" and "Stand Up" contain an R&B and urban sound. The final track, "These Are the Lies" experiments with more electronica and dubstep sounds with a piano-driven and violin-influenced opening. It was produced by Steve Mac and co-written by English singer and songwriter John Newman.[13]

Critical reception

Matt Collar of AllMusic gave the EP a positive review stating, "Once again showcasing the vocal talents of Alexander DeLeon, Lock Me Up is a high-energy set of songs that, while retaining the Cab's longstanding knack for passionate emo-rock, reveals such varied stylistic influences as dubstep, piano balladry, and four-on-the-floor dance club electronica. In that sense, Lock Me Up brings to mind the emo-soul of Fall Out Boy mixed with the more electronic pop end of Maroon 5."[12]

Alternative Press wrote, "From the title track's boy-band stomp through the gorgeous ballad 'Numbers' (the best pop track DeLeon has penned to date and a song with a fighting chance of netting the singer Top 40 hit) and the R&B-tinged 'These Are The Lies', it's clear the Cab are less about the band and more about showcasing DeLeon's pipes" and criticized the music itself, describing it as "stale if not unimaginative."[14]

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[13]

The Cab

  • Alexander DeLeon – lead vocals
  • Alex T. Marshall – rhythm guitar, piano, backing vocals
  • Chantry Johnson – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Dave Briggs – drums, percussion
  • Joey Thunder – bass guitar

Additional musicians

  • Steve Mac – keyboards (track 1–2)
  • Chris Laws – drums (track 1)
  • Dan Pursey – percussion (track 1–2)
  • Paul Gendler – guitar (track 1–2)
  • Ian Crawford (track 1–5)
  • John Newman – backing vocals (track 1)
  • Wayne Hector – backing vocals (track 1)
  • James Abrahart – backing vocals (track 1)
  • Neal Wilkinson – drums (track 2)
  • Michael Freesh – bass (track 3)
  • Nick Bailey – backing vocals (track 3)
  • Ryan Ogren – backing vocals (track 3), guitar (track 3), keyboards (track 3), bass (track 3)
  • Simon Katz – synthesizer (track 3–4), drums (track 5)

Production

  • Steve Mac – producer (track 1–2)
  • The Blueprint – producer (track 3)
  • WHAMS – producer (track 3)
  • Johnny Coffer – producer (track 4)
  • CJ Baran – producer (track 5)
  • Chris Laws – engineer (track 1–2), programming (track 1–2)
  • Dan Pursey – engineer (track 1–2)
  • John Hanes – engineer (track 1–2)
  • Michael Freesh – engineer (track 3)
  • Nick Bailey – engineer (track 3)
  • Trent Mazur – engineer (track 3)
  • Ryan Ogren – engineer (track 3)
  • Larry Goetz – engineer (track 3)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing (track 1–2)
  • Simon Katz – mixing (track 3–4)
  • Jaycen Joshua – mixing (track 5)
  • Ryan Kaul – assistant mixing engineer (track 5)

Charts

Chart performance for Lock Me Up
Chart (2014)Peak
position
US Billboard 200[15]44

References

  1. ^ "The Cab writing new album". Alternative Press. June 6, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  2. ^ "The Cab recording new album, post first studio update". Alternative Press. January 24, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  3. ^ "The Cab post second studio update". Alternative Press. February 2, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  4. ^ "Interview: The Cab's Alex DeLeon — "To me, we were always a pop band"". Alternative Press. May 12, 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  5. ^ "The Cab are back". Alternative Press. April 16, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  6. ^ "The Cab release new song teaser". Alternative Press. April 22, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  7. ^ "The Cab tease new single, 'Lock Me Up'". Alternative Press. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  8. ^ Kraus, Brian (April 26, 2014). "Alex Marshall parts ways with the Cab". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
  9. ^ "The Cab 'Lock Me Up' Lyric Video: Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  10. ^ "The Cab release new EP, 'Lock Me Up'". Alternative Press. April 29, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  11. ^ Garland, Emma (2009-08-20). "ATP! Album Review: The Cab - Lock Me Up EP". Alter The Press! Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  12. ^ Matt Collar. "Lock Me Up Review by Matt Collar". AllMusic. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  13. ^ Lock Me Up (booklet). Republic. 2014.
  14. ^ "The Cab - Lock Me Up EP". Alternative Press. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  15. ^ "The Cab Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Archived January 30, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 10, 2025.