Cake

When two-fifths of Cake defected to form Deathray after the release of their sophomore album, Fashion Nugget, some wondered if Sacramento's answer to Camper Van Beethoven would disappear into the land of one-hit wonders--especially since Cake's lone hit, "The Distance," had been penned by departing guitarist Greg Brown. But true to bandleader John McCrea's deadpan cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," Cake turned around and repeated their success with 1998's Prolonging the Magic and its infectious hit, "Never There." Now comes Comfort Eagle, and, with it, news of drummer Todd Roper's departure (which probably explains the addition of drum programming to McCrea's ever-expanding credits). Like Beck, McCrea's self-sufficiency is only matched by an overriding ironic sensibility. It serves him well on the title track where, above mock Middle Eastern drones, he takes on all poseurs ("Now ...

2001-07-24 - Sony