Shake the Cage is a strong rock & roll album. It features plenty of amplified guitar. Nelson also sings like a lovable maniac throughout. He has an expressive vocal range, which can sound soulful ("Hey Doll") at times, and classically Freddie Mercury rocking in other spots.

Nelson's rock & roll is not metal or punk. Instead, it's fairly clean sounding, and always melodic. Nelson never sacrifices a tune you can hum, for volume's sake. These are rock songs with hooks, which really ought to find a home on radio. Ah, but there aren't enough open spots on radio playlists unless you're, say, a pop diva collaborating with an EDM DJ. Let's hope these days are numbered.

"Never Fight Alone" opens with a spoken voice asking, "Whatever happened to decent music?" Freddie Nelson has created a collection of songs that are far better than decent. Shake that cage, Freddie! The world really needs your aggressive passion right now.