REVIEW: Cake, Prolonging the Magic (Capricorn)
- Christina Apeles
Prolonging the Magic is the third release from the Sacramento-based band Cake, which is one of the best cures for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) when a Snickers bar isn’t handly. It is an offbeat, delectable collection of songs where comedic lyrics and mischievous rhythms run rampant. Just take a look at their song titles: "Satan is My Motor," "Sheep Go to Heaven," and "Alpha Beta Parking Lot."
Wit is alive in frontman John McCrea’s vocals that are half-joking, half-serious with lines like, ‘When she talks, she moves her mouth instead of her lips’ and ‘If I threw my guitar out the window . . . would I start to regret it or would I smile and watch it slowly fall.’ Cake sings about things most bands don’t: car exhaust, barbers, matches, fingers, and carpenters. This reflection on the ordinary is part of their charm backed by special appearances from neglected instruments like the musical saw, trumpet, mandolin, and moog, which add a unique touch to their brand of groovy, head-bopping pop.
