The band Cake has finally released their long-anticipated 6th album entitled Showroom of Compassion, which came out at the beginning of the new year. This album release is the band’s first in nearly seven years, since Pressure Chief, was released in 2004.
The time away seems to be paying off for Cake, as the new album reached number one on the Billboard 200; a first in the band’s 20-year history.Though front-man John McCrea’s voice makes the music easily identifiable, Showroom of Compassion has a distinct sound that separates itself from its sister albums Fashion Nugget, Prolonging the Magic and Comfort Eagle. Replacing Cake’s signature “Ahh Yeah’s” are instrumental interludes, and metaphoric innuendos are replaced with more coherent lyrics. This new album is also slower than Cake’s previous ones, though it still has that funky breakdown with bass, percussion, trumpet and keyboard that fans love.
As a long-time Cake fan, this new album is one that I find exciting. Each track is unique, ranging from aggressive rock, to funk, to what McCrea likes to call “weird pseudoclassical compositions.” There is truly something in this album for everyone. Tune in to 91.1 the Globe to hear hit tracks off the album, including “Sick of You”, “Easy to Crash” and “Mustache Man.” Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
