by Rinjo Njori.

Cake has been in absentia since Pressure Chief, which was released in 2004. Like most B-sides and Rarities, unless you are a true fan, you might approach this release with a big question mark. There is enough here to keep this interesting for non-fans, but just barely enough. Cake has often been referred to as "the normal" alternative to Beck . What differentiates Cake from the Thetan Warrior? In my mind it is because Cake has a defined sound, where Beck tends to go on tangents. Still Cake doesn't lack for surprises.

The real surprise here is the amount of country covers and Cake's affinity for Black Sabbath's "War Pigs". The latter gets double duty as a studio track and a live track. Cake abandon's Sabbath's slow trudge through the mud and opt for a more upbeat and positive take on the classic.

Also, the electronic back beat and choral "Oh Yeah!" and "Huh" add some life to the faithful Iommi riffs. The inclusion of another live version might be a little questionable but doesn't hurt album overall. Kathy Dee's "Subtract One Love (Multiply the Heartaches)" works surprisingly well when compared to Mel Tillis "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" or Buck Owen's "Excuse Me, I Think I've Got a Heartache". Dee's "Subtract One Love" has heart and McCrea's vocals are a perfect fit. Tillis "Ruby" and Owen's "Excuse Me" are paint by numbers country and McCrea does nothing more than paint himself as a competent country standards singer and the rest of the band as mere back ups.

However, nothing will prepare the listener for "Cake-ification" of Barry White's "Never Gonna Give You Up". The band make the song their own, with each instrument owning part of the song before rising up in unison. McCrea's vocals range from the Beck style spoken word to some pretty capable harmony in the chorus.

No less satisfying, but probably not a crowd pleaser is the instrumental/ spoken word "Thrills". The music exudes the laid back vibe of the White cover. While the spoken word diatribe about technology and society fits in nicely with the music.

There are other cover's and live tracks which wouldn't necessarily spark the interest of the "average joe/jane" on the street, but this clearly isn't a fans only affair. The other interesting tactic the band has tried on this album is scratch and sniff CD inserts. I can't tell what "smell" my CD insert is but the Barry White cover is enough to tide me over until Pressure Chief's inevitable follow-up.

Labels: Cake