Showroom of Compassion

Cake has recorded its sixth work on its own label

It has been already two decades that the California based band Cake is pleasing fans with its creations, in which it combines such styles as punk, ska, jazz, rap, classic rock and even pop. The band’s central figure is John McCrea, vocalist, guitarist, organist and pianist all in one; Vince DiFiore playing keyboards and trumpet has been working with him since the band’s foundation in 1991, and bassist Gabe Nelson joined the band the same year after Shon Meckfessel’s leaving. Drummer Frank French left Cake soon after the debut album Motorcade of Generosity was released in 1994, and today Paulo Baldi is responsible for percussion and drums. The rest of the band’s line-up has changed several times during the twenty years of its existence, McCrea’s trademark vocals that combine speaking and singing remaining the only constant feature. Cake released its fifth album Pressure Chief in 2004, and the compilation B-Sides And Rarities was released in 2007 and included a number of interesting covers. This year, after the longest break between the albums its sixth studio work Showroom Of Compassion finally sees the light of the day. Cake has recorded it on its own label and made it similar to and at the same time different from all its previous material.

Songs on Showroom Of Compassion are remarkable for a more monumental sounding

Telling of the new album John McCrea has stated that he is playing acoustic piano much more this time which makes some tracks sound classier, and also uses reverb which he used to refuse before. As for the lyrics wordplay, metaphors and unexpected rhymes still prevail in it and sound as tasteful as never in McCrea’s performance. Thus, songs on Showroom Of Compassion are remarkable for a more monumental sounding but at the same time you cannot help feeling as if you are personally present in the studio for the vocalist’s voice sounds really close and clear. The album opens with the composition Federal Funding built on organ sounds and a frankly unmasking text, whereas melodious numbers Long Time, Got To Move and What's Now Is Now are devoted to various stages of breaking up a relationship. Trumpet, piano, organ adds beauty to these emotional tracks and each of them deserves attention. A very contagious arrangement of the joyful Mustache Man (Wasted) – a nice riff, light percussion and summer horns – combines harmoniously with the bold lyrics, while the lyrical piano introduction to the short song Teenage Pregnancy and a deliberately tragic tune make one seriously reflect on this phenomenon quite wide-spread nowadays. The first single Sick Of You is definitely one of the most memorable moments on the record and covers the theme of loneliness, and Easy To Crash conquers with its volume sounding and rather wise lyrics. The nostalgic ballad The Winter is refined with an amazing trumpet solo by Vince DiFiore, and the stylish orchestra arrangement of the final number Italian Guy will surely leave nobody indifferent.

A completely unique atmosphere

Starting from its debut album Cake has earned the reputation of musicians living in the world of their own fantasies, echoing with the world of the present days by means of some tendencies in common. Images and metaphors in its songs often serve as the way to express opinion on politics and social issues as well as think through some personal life’s problems, and the new album Showroom Of Compassion is no exception in this respect. Moreover, John speaks quite honestly what he thinks of his contemporaries and disposes the signs of degradation in the society on such songs as Federal Funding and Easy To Crash. All the band members’ vocal harmonies and really beautiful and complicated tunes, vivid imagery in the lyrics create a completely unique atmosphere which has been really worth waiting for almost seven years. Founding its own label Upbeat Records during that time the Sacramento based indie quintet has adopted the simplest technique to easily come back to the center of the audience’s attention and give us eleven unforgettable songs that comprise one of its best albums Showroom Of Compassion.