Cake

by The Trash Can Sinatras

Overview

Long before Travis and Coldplay came along, the Trash Can Sinatras enchanted college-aged Anglophiles with their jangly brand of emotive Brit-pop. Seen as musical fluff by fans of early-'90s pre-Nirvana alternative and ignored by fans of mid- to late-'90s post-Nirvana alternative, these five Scottish lads smoothed the edges but sharpened the hooks of a developing genre. The Trash Can Sinatras' 1990 debut, Cake, mixes intricately intertwined guitars, in the spirit of a more charming, less gritty Johnny Marr, with lush strings and sophisticated harmonies. Touchingly clever wordplay ("You came into my life/Like a brick through a window/And I cracked a smile") abounds, as on "The Best Man's Fall." The clean production -- necessary for such elaborate orchestration -- is extremely warm and inviting. Singles like "Obscurity Knocks" and "Only Tongue Will Tell" as well as "Maybe I Should Drive" prove to be the tastiest pieces of pure pop pleasure. But sugar can be bittersweet and laced with longing, as on "Thrupenny Tears" and "You Made Me Feel." Regardless of the relative mood, this debut is noticeably devoid of musical missteps -- quite a feat for a new artist. Easy on the ears and palate, Cake is as filling and digestible an album as one could hope. Subsequent Trash Can Sinatras releases reach for the same greatness but ultimately fall a little short. This precursor to early 21st century Brit-pop darkens the occasional used record store bin. And it tastes almost as fresh as the day it was made. ~ Norm Elrod

Product Details

Release Date:	01/05/2024
Label:	Last Night From Glasgow
UPC:	0658238687465

Tracks

1. Obscurity Knocks
2. Maybe I Should Drive
3. Thrupenny Tears
4. Even The Odd
5. The Best Man's Fall
6. Circling The Circumference
7. Funny
8. Only Tongue Can Tell
9. You Make Me Feel
10. January's Little Joke

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Trash Can Sinatras   Primary Artist,Strings
Audrey Riley   Strings
Gavin McComb   Cello
Clare Thompson   Violin
Magne Furuholmen   Vocals (Background)
Clark Sorley   Piano,Keyboards

Technical Credits

The Trash Can Sinatras   Composer,Producer,Mixing
Roger Bechirian   Mixing,Producer
Michael Carr   Composer
Francis Reader   Composer
Tony Harris   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Paul Livingston   Composer
John Leckie   Mixing,Producer
John Douglas   Composer
Paul Cox   Photography