Comfort Eagle
When two-fifths of Cake defected to formDeathrayafter the release of their sophomore album,Fashion Nugget, some wondered if Sacramento's answer toCamper Van Beethovenwould 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 ofGloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," Cake turned around and repeated their success with 1998'sProlonging the Magicand its infectious hit, "Never There." Now comesComfort 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). LikeBeck, 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 his hat is on backwards, he can show you his tattoos / He's in the music business, he is calling you 'dude'"). By comparison, "Short Skirt/Long Jacket," a song that dates back to McCrae's coffeehouse years, sounds formulaic (which probably explains its selection as the album's first single). No matter, tracks like "Long Line of Cars" and "Meanwhile, Rick James..." are sufficiently intriguing to make up for it. Factor in the distinctive trumpet embellishments of Vincent DiFiore, the band's other original member, andComfort Eagleseems guaranteed to ensure that, no matter what happens, Cake will survive.--Bill Forman