The Cakes – EP

The Cakes – EP / 2006 Self / 3 Tracks / http://www.thecakes.co.uk / Reviewed 28 July 2006

“Sunday” starts out with a very classic type of sound that shows The Cakes as a band that are very in touch with the bands that they listened to as kids. This means during “Sunday”, there are hints of Toni Basil, The Moody Blues, and even Styx. The production value of this EP is solid enough to allow for The Cakes to not be held back but anything but their own talent. Luckily enough for The Cakes, the band is solid enough musically to be able to find an audience that wishes to hear what they are doing. “Sunday” is a short enough track to give individuals a taste of what The Cakes have to offer, but makes them hunger for what will follow.

“Quarantine” brings the focus of The Cakes up a few years, so listeners are confronted with a synth line that is taken right out of a Duran Duran or Cure track. The time signatures are a little funky during the track, but the band is able to come back strong after this momentary fluctuation. There seems to be a much more heavy focus on the instrumentation during this track, and the reduced role given to the vocals here is something that keeps the band fresh to all listening in. The use of repetition during “Quarantine” mixes with a slightly more fuzzy production value on the track. This brings the band back further to the eighties, to the days of acts like Husker Du and The Replacements. The EP ends with “Bored of Cities”, a song that opens up with an authoritative bass line and has a vocal style that is reminiscent of a Neil Young at points. The band shows three different faces during this EP, which is a great sign for when the band can actually come up with a full length album. The variety of styles shown should only increase when the band is able to move to the ten to twelve track level.

The entire length of the EP may only be eight minutes, but it is enough for listeners to get familiar with The Cakes and want to pick up anything else that they may do in the future. Here’s to hoping that The Cakes are able to move to the full length realm without losing any of the magic that was present on this EP. If they come to the U.S., go to their shows as well!

Top Track: Sunday

Rating: 6.2/10

[JMcQ]