Pressure Chief

1	Wheels
2	No Phone
3	Take It All Away
4	Dime
5	Carbon Monoxide
6	The Guitar Man
7	Waiting
8	She'll Hang the Baskets
9	End of the Movie
10	Palm of Your Hand
11	Tougher Than It Is

Barnes & Noble

For the past decade, this Cali-bred combo have walked the ever-finer line between quirky charm and novelty-band inanity -- almost always ending up on the right side. On this, their fifth full-length, they continue that streak, paying equal attention to catchiness -- always a strength -- and lyrical flair. Those elements dovetail neatly on the energized "Carbon Monoxide," on which singer John McCrea rants convincingly, yet not didactically, about the spread of the SUV plague. The band weave their typical web of jaunty guitar on the tightly wound "No Phone," a song that could easily make a bookend for "The Distance" on alterna-radio playlists, while flexing their often-ignored instrumental prowess on tunes like the adrenalized finger-picker "End of the Movie." As usual, Cake take on an unlikely cover -- this time, Bread's über-mellow "Guitar Man" -- and mark it as their own, but Pressure Chief is good for eliciting more than just a wink and a knowing nod. It's the sort of party album that'll appeal to just about anyone whose idea of a good time involves both drinking games and word games. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Released in 2004, Pressure Chief marks Cake's tenth year with a set of sardonic, engaging alternative pop that shows the Sacramento band's economical sound unwilted after all these years. Chief features artwork and typography typical to the group, as well the familiar three-color print scheme and stiff cardstock paper. John McCrea's wit is as dry as ever, and his tongue has grown sharper with the addition of a social comment streak that occasionally goes quite cynical. Single "No Phone" decries the encroachment of technology, while "Carbon Monoxide" is an upbeat, Beatlesque number that nevertheless wonders cynically, "Where's the air?" Later, the wispily funky "Tougher Than It Is" encourages listeners to take it easy, because life's going to keep throwing curve balls anyway. Cake have always positioned themselves as cultural observers, but McCrea's opinions on Chief rely more on clarity than wryness. This doesn't make the album a downer. It opens with "Wheels," a song built from the best parts of Cake's thrifty yet effective arsenal. McCrea's narrative mostly concerns a breakup, and life moving on ("Wheels keep on spinning 'round..."). But his imagery is on overdrive once he hits the singles bar, where the "Muscular cyborg German dudes dance with sexy French Canadians." The song's punctuated by a classic Vince Di Fiore descending trumpet line and some fan-favorite "HEY!"s from McCrea. In the tradition of "I Will Survive," the band tackles another cover song, this time reinterpreting Bread's "Guitar Man." With its vintage synthesizers squiggling off the cues of an acoustic guitar, their version meanders at a comforting pace akin to Flaming Lips' "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1," and even gives McCrea a chance to sing a little. Other highlights include "She'll Hang the Baskets," where guest Chuck Prophet fills out the mournful melody with some fuzzily toned electric guitar, and "Dime," where the charmingly home-recorded quality of Pressure Chief really stands out. Smart, subtly subversive, and always catchy -- if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Johnny Loftus