Cake Still Going The Distance On New Album

Cake is a band that’s like your smart aleck older brother. Vocalist John McCrea sings like he doesn’t really care, tossing off random thoughts, pop culture references, and non-sequiturs. You’re not always sure what he’s saying, but it sounds intelligent, and besides, you don’t know enough to challenge its validity.

Plus, everything is done over this cool mishmash of funk, new wave pop, hip hop, jazz, rock–pretty much anything the band can fit together, the more jarring the juxtaposition, the better.

This might sound like it could get old, but if you’ve ever heard Cake’s ubiquitous single “The Distance,” you know the concept works. On their first new album in six years Showroom of Compassion, the band members prove they’ve still got it.

This time around, McCrea is a little older and a little wiser. He still has that deadpan delivery, but now there’s empathy in his apathy. Maybe its because he’s been around the block a few more times, but as the album title indicates, these songs are about compassion for his fellow man.

Stream ‘Showroom of Compassion’ Now

Tracks like “What’s Now Is Now” show why Cake is so successful at what they do. The song is a cover of a Frank Sinatra tune from his obscure concept album Watertown. To hear Cake‘s version, however, you’d never suspect it. Their take on the song features the kind of lockstep beat heard on the “The Distance” and a disco-y arrangement of rhythm guitars, strings, horns and bass. McCrea doesn’t exactly croon, but his detached voice acts as an anchor that holds together the song’s disparate parts. Cake‘s “What’s Now is Now” sounds nothing like ol’ Mickey Blue Eyes, but its funky white boy groove it gives it something close to Sinatra‘s universal appeal.

The ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ attitude Cake has toward what goes into their music is what’s so fun about them. They have the ability to take almost any musical style and make it their own, and it’s exciting to see where that takes them. If anything, they’ve only gotten better at it.

Check out the video for “Sick of You,” the first single off Showroom of Compassion:

And just in case you haven’t heard it in a while, give “The Distance” a spin for old time’s sake:

Get the most up-to-date info on albums, singles, and other new releases on Street Date.

See band photos and read more about Cake courtesy of our friends at WXRT in Chicago.

And if you like what you hear, and want to hear it all the time, get your own copy of Showroom of Compassion at iTunes or Amazon.