For a moment, imagine you're starting an alternative rock band. You can combine the genre with any number of styles to choose from, no matter how disparate. You could try for the funk elements present in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the folk stylings that define much of Jeff Buckley's signature sound, or even the hip-hop influence that pervades much of Gorillaz' work. But what happens when you combine all three of these? Well, you get the musical anomaly that is simply known as Cake.
While Cake's greatest levels of success occurred around the mid-to-late 90s, their bizarre lyrics and highly diverse body of work ensure that they're an odd fit for
any generation of music. Their songs are catchy, sure, but between frontman John McCrea's monotone vocal style - which generally veers between rapping and casual singing - and the mariachi-inspired trumpet melodies, this stuff really is an acquired taste. But if you haven't given them a chance, I certainly urge you to do so. What makes Cake so unique (aside from all I mentioned above) is that, despite their variety, they're always so easily recognizable. It can be incredibly difficult to maintain an identity when juggling so many styles around, but Cake do so with absurd ease. And nowhere is this more evident than in their 1996 masterpiece
Fashion Nugget.
Out of any Cake album, this is definitely the most consistent and engaging work. Many of the popular heavyweights of their career made their debut here, such as their catchy bass-driven road anthem "The Distance" as well as their profanity-laced cover of the classic "I Will Survive." But as was mentioned earlier, what's especially neat is how many styles are being thrown around here. It's truly everything but the kitchen sink, ranging from the folky guitar melodies of "Friend Is a Four-Letter Word," the quirky lighthearted blues and jazz of "Stickshifts and Safetybelts," to the prominent basslines and trumpet parts that accompany each moment. Speaking of which, trumpet player Vince DiFiore and bassist Victor Damiani seriously deserve more credit for their contributions in this band. No matter what tempo or style a song is set in, these two people are always doing something interesting with the material; Damiani in particular has some of the best basslines of 90s alternative rock. The way the instrument is played here almost makes it sound like another lead instrument among the guitars, something that was also big with bands like Primus and Incubus around that time. Combined with the guitar/drum duo of Greg Brown and Todd Roper giving the music a bit more crunch, the effect is truly intoxicating.
But of course, who can forget the person who brings everything together, John McCrea? This guy can sing, he can rap, he can oftentimes have a lethargic drawl, and he's still whom most people remember when remembering this band because of his odd overall presence. Certain songs like "Frank Sinatra" and "Friend Is a Four-Letter Word" contain much more conventional singing, but more often than not, McCrea's unique spoken word is what takes the reigns. And of course, there are some WEIRD lyrics being thrown about on this album; my personal favorite comes from "The Land of Race Car Ya-Yas," in which McCrea says that "large fuzzy dice still hang proudly like testicles from rear-view mirrors." Um, what? Anyway, this strangeness ironically adds to the charm of the album. A lot of 90s alternative rock acts tried to do unconventional things within their music to garner more fans or just to be different from the crowd, but
Fashion Nugget just makes it seem so natural and easy to pull off. If there's one flaw I could point out, though, it's that the second half isn't quite as memorable as the first. There are still great songs such as the beautiful power ballad "Italian Leather Sofa" and the hilariously profane title track "Nugget," but the first seven songs are all classics and quite tough to live up to.
In any case,
Fashion Nugget is still amazing. It's diversity, personality, and overall songwriting are just as fresh today as they were 19 years ago, a testament to the album's timelessness. Yeah, it might be a bit hard to get into at first, but Cake's sophomore album is a huge leap forward from their debut album
Motorcade of Generosity as well as the best representation of their signature sound. If you enjoy alternative rock, jazz, funk, hip-hop, folk, or all of the above, then
Fashion Nugget is essential.
