(U-WIRE) SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Some think that in order to appreciate a piece of art, it must be fully divorced from its context. One’s personal feelings and past experience with the artist must be suspended, as the appraisal’s objectivity is of critical importance. The perspective with objectivity, it is argued, is the only perspective with any value.
Considering Cake’s ‘Pressure Chief’ album in such a manner would have yielded a significantly higher rating. The group’s lackadaisical brand of guitar pop with minimalist accentuation is certainly not stridently disagreeable, and it is vastly preferable to the legions of mall-punk bands emoting their way into the hearts of sixth-graders everywhere (read: Good Charlotte).
Objectively, Cake blends a carefree attitude, catchy guitar hooks and some pleasing embellishments with trumpets, synthesizers and assorted found-sound noisemakers into condensed songs that are easy to digest. Admittedly, the group’s sound wears a bit thin over the course of a 35-minute album, but Cake seems to be taking itself lightheartedly enough, so it’s not too grating.
Unfortunately for Cake, the notion of objectivity is b.s. All of Cake’s albums before this one sound exactly the same. Yes, John McCrea’s low-key, speak-sing delivery and Vince Di Fiorie’s occasional trumpet bursts are interesting and enjoyable at first, but over the course of five albums and 10 years, Cake is in dire need of either innovation or an indefinite hiatus. Cake’s sound still isn’t disagreeable per se, but it’s so damn boring by now that getting excited about the group is quite difficult.
Fortunately, ‘Pressure Chief’ doesn’t completely recycle Cake’s previous efforts. For example, McCrea has adopted the role of a social commentator in a few of the album’s songs. Unfortunately, most of his statements are of such bland and general nature that they border on being wholly impotent. ‘No Phone’ deals with predictably, the proliferation of cell phones and other such technology that has permeated American society in recent years. ‘Carbon Monoxide’ focuses on – you guessed it – the unhealthy state of the earth’s atmosphere.
The instrumentation on this album remains standard Cake fare – the aforementioned guitar hooks, synthesizers, trumpet and McCrea’s trademark delivery style have all remained intact.
Ultimately, ‘Pressure Chief’ is not going to win over any new Cake fans, nor will it divide their existing ones. Some will rush to buy this album, but the rest of us will just occasionally listen to the copies of ‘Fashion Nugget’ we bought in junior high.
