The indie ladies of
Cake Like are back with a third album, their second for
Neil Young's Vapor Records, and the pop kitsch continues. On
Goodbye, So What?, Cake Like appears considerably more focused on musicianship and eager to define a characteristic sound than on previous records. Kerri Kinney's vocals are misty yet tightly executed, and the harmonies from
Nina Hellman are sweet. Album opener "Lucky One" sounds sneaky with its straining Wurlitzer loops, and "Dead to Me" and the
Sonic Youth-esque "Getaway" maintain a keen sense of rock originality comparable to artists like
Liz Phair and the Pixies. "My Guy" is an anthem for the independent woman who avoids love fantasies and their attendant frustrations; it's not feminist in the sense of Lilith, but rather sassy indie rock similar to the likes of
Kim Deal,
Kristin Hersh, and
Boss Hog's
Cristina Martinez.
Goodbye, So What? has a spunky, inspiring spark long forgotten in today's teenybop mediocrity. But Cake Like isn't riot grrrl enough to display a nasty disposition, nor are they out to be the femme-fatale supergroup, screaming and kicking to get respect. These women know how to get attention without Courtney Love attitude or
Nina Hagen obscurity, and that's what makes
Goodbye, So What? so refreshing.
