By Alec Lautanen
Theme Editor
Frontman John McCrea promised something “very different” and “finally classy” with alternative-rock band CAKE’s latest album, “Showroom of Compassion.”
McCrea has made a noted departure from the standard rock elements and trumpet sounds of previous albums. But in spite of this, it retains the same high level of vocal quality and instrumental nuance that have made CAKE so well-known.
CAKE is an alt-rock band from Sacramento. “Showroom of Compassion” is their sixth album and the first on their own record label, Upbeat Records.
This is CAKE’s first release since 2004’s “Pressure Chief,” and the seven-year gap between albums is the longest in the band’s history. “Showroom of Compassion” contains material drawn from singer and songwriter McCrea’s entire life, with songs written as long ago as 1974 and as recently as 2010.
The album opens with cold staccato guitar on “Federal Funding” and quickly builds to an ostentatious but pleasing trumpet section that is supported heavily by the the band. The track features frequent use of exaggerated vowels in McCrea’s voice, the repetition of which eventually becomes irritating.
The album’s lyrics are thematically complex. At some points, they express longing for those missed. At others, they express discontent with the returning lover’s behavior. Tracks like “What’s Now is Now” and “Long Time” deal with the former, while “Sick of You” and “Easy to Crash” show the singer’s loss of compassion for those he loves.
It may sound as though McCrea and company have created an album full of cliches about unrequited love, but this is not the case. The record they have produced is enthralling because eclectic choices in instrumentation, such as the distinction of piano along with hard guitar, trumpet and even a string section on “Italian Guy.”
These opposing elements culminate in the songs “Bound Away” and “The Winter.” These two tracks present what appears to be opposing viewpoints between two exes, lyrics complemented by appropriate instrumentation.
“Bound Away” tells a folksy story of someone leaving to travel the world, while “The Winter” shows the somber holiday of the one left behind, complete with solemn piano choruses and a bluesy trumpet solo.
The music on “Showroom of Compassion” matches the lyrics well and other aspects such as funk-inspired bass lines in tracks like “Mustache Man,” and the instrumental track “Teenage Pregnancy” make “Showroom of Compassion” stand out. Thankfully, CAKE accomplishes this while still retaining the qualities they’ve always been prized for: energetic trumpet sections and McCrea’s distinct voice.
Where “Showroom of Compassion” is lacking is in its excessive use of hard, inharmonic guitar openings. Some vocal elements, including drawn-out vowel sounds from McCrea and the lengthy chorus repeats near the ends of some track, are needlessly overused.
“Showroom of Compassion”, when taken as a whole, is a testament to CAKE’s extreme musical talent. Coming from the same era as still successful bands like Weezer and Wilco, CAKE are a testament to the longevity of good music and a talented band. Approaching their 20th anniversary, CAKE continue to develop their musical sound, with good results.
“Showroom of Compassion” is available on iTunes for $9.99 and anywhere CD’s are sold.
i thought it was an awesome, spot on comprehensive review of the musical content…good and bad. Heard you were also doing a review of “The Kings Speech” for this issue and because your cinematic observations are always so concise and the abstract values that may go totally unnoticed by the novice moviegoer are pointed out and commented on, I was really looking forward to. Keep up the good work