Search - Lisa Loeb :: Cake & Pie

An exquisite recording by a blossoming artist!

Invisiboy2001 | Chicago, IL United States | 02/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lisa Loeb has always made good records, not great ones. Until now. Since she burst onto the music scene with her massively successful song "Stay," Loeb has been achieving only moderate success, both artistically and commercially ("I Do" and "Do You Sleep?" being her only other Top 40 hits). Her first two CDs featured many terrific performances, but the overall effects of the albums were weighed down by down-tempo songs that never seemed to tell the listener much that really stuck. Still, Loeb possesses an enjoyable voice and terrific phrasing abilities, and she certainly has a talent for writing a catchy song. All her talents shine brightly on her third album, "Cake and Pie." True to its title, the CD offers twelve delicious songs...all made with the familiar but refreshed Loeb recipe. The artist delivers her most brilliant moments on up-tempo numbers like the current single "Someone You Should Know," the energetic "You Don't Know Me" and the soaring "We Could Still Belong Together," but she also achieves new maturity and excellence with the CD's slower songs, like "Payback" and the wonderful "She's Falling Apart." Loeb's new lyrics are sophisticated without being contrived or stilted, and surprisingly honest, insightful and interesting. (Strangely enough, I purchased this CD the same day I bought Alanis Morrissette's "Under Rug Swept," thinking Morrissette's effort would be the intriguing, edgy one and Loeb's being the lightweight of the two titles. Needless to say, I was quite shocked to discover that quite the opposite was true!) So, yes, boys and girls, this is a wonderful new Lisa Loeb. And I have a feeling she is just getting started. I highly recommend this album. If you have only one Lisa Loeb CD in your collection, this one should be it."

Not just for dessert anymore.

Sam D. | Burbank, CA USA | 03/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When an artist we think we know takes a dramatic turn off her established path, it's a touchy thing for fans. Newbies come to the party with a different frame of reference (like folks who first heard U2 after Zooropa), but for long-time listeners, such a departure can usher feelings both of elation and betrayal. I admit vacillating between the two before concluding that Cake And Pie is a tasty disc indeed, more consistent in theme, yet more musically diverse than Lisa Loeb's two previous releases. The elements that define her body of work thankfully remain intact: intelligent personal lyrics, courageous bare vocals, exquisite guitar playing, and infectious pop arrangements - but there's a broadened level of musical experimentation that takes us outside the familiar turf of Tails and Firecracker.Lyrically, the songs delve into the mysteries of human incompatibility; of how, whether in a relationship or not, we fail to see plain truth before our eyes; and finally why we crave impossible ideals that inevitably disappoint. As is often the case with Loeb's compositions, her solid pop sensibilities make the songs easy to swallow and belie the depth of longing within.With this new recording, her first for A&M, Lisa has expanded her level of collaboration to include such heavyweights as Glen Ballard and Randy Scruggs. Dweezil Zappa adds a crispy electrified influence to several tracks. The result is a richly textured stew, full of nuance and spice, but at a cost. It's a difficult to define subtlety, part recording and part performance, that I would call intimacy. Make no mistake - this is real, honest songwriting, but this album is a larger production than Lisa's earlier one-on-one sessions with producer Juan Patino, and as such, the flavor is different.Still, it's great sound: exceptionally clean drumming, crisp acoustic guitars, and tastefully applied distortion. Splendid dynamics abound - Loeb is really good at this. And the best part: she's not afraid of a microphone, or of recording her vocals dry. In fact, the reverb on the single "Someone You Should Know" is an uncharacteristic surprise. Also unexpected is the Wurlitzer electric piano on many tracks - a convincing condiment.In the confessional "The Way It Really Is," obsessive analysis of a relationship drives Loeb from pole to pole (panning from speaker to speaker) as she questions the validity of her own perceptions. Smothering vines of doubt and dreams twist from her imagination, fertilized by an unwillingness to accept anything at face value, and nurtured by the truth that we can never really know someone else. In the end, Loeb's sole voice amidst a sparse bed of strings is lovely, fragile, and utterly alone. Twin acoustic guitars paint a gorgeous stereo image in "Underdog," a heartbreaking song about being invisible and misunderstood, and craving love. These sonic and emotional themes continue in "Everyday," where a moving Calypso beat and a surprising chorus mate with delicious percussion to deliver a standout performance. This is Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories in full band mode, and from gleaming Fenders to delicate woodblocks to pounding floor toms, the dynamics are stellar. By comparison, the sparse "Drops Me Down" recalls the Beatles, with a guitar solo that is positively Harrisonian. More derivative still is "You Don't Know Me," an eighties time warp with razor guitars and a metallic snare that sounds like a Brian May / Go-Gos collision. In "Too Fast Driving," squashed unison vocals reference nineties power pop, and there's a dreamlike break with fat bass and a flanged wall of sound that descends into something mental. "Payback," a soulful seventies jam must have been a blast to record, with nods to Rick Wright and Stephen Stills. Showing my age, I wish this one were longer! Certainly some listeners will find these odd songs incongruous, and they might make the album seem schizophrenic, but Loeb explains that these diversions pay homage to artists she grew up on. It's a dense, unusual grouping, but ah, the bookends...By far the most striking songs on Cake And Pie are a pair of acoustic ballads. "She's Falling Apart" is an unsettling tale of a girl's eating disorder, and "Kick Start," which pleads with raw honesty for action against inertia, is a lyric that strikes chords universal about the state of the human condition. It's a wonderful a song that could transcend even this magnificent performance where drone flattops and subtle percussion leave air for Loeb's vulnerable, close vocals. Having two desserts implies too much of a good thing, but Cake And Pie is not overly sweet. Inside each song is a woman desperate to connect. And while Lisa Loeb begs our indulgence of her experiments, we are ultimately rewarded with courses that comprise a full and varied meal. This is no mere confection."

She's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.....

_ | Atlanta, GA USA | 03/04/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I don't care how good you sound, how well your lyrics are written, or how well you can play an instrument....if your album is weakly produced, it will shatter everything you have tried to create and propel you from potential listeners and fans you once had. This scenario is pretty much what can make or break a singer/songwriter's potential and album progressions. Or sometimes, you can have good lyrics and good production, but the vocals lack an overpowering effect. All of this drama initially applies to Loeb's latest album, 'Cake & Pie'. But after a few more complete album listens, the music is worthwhile.Lisa Loeb's previous two albums were tremedously good, which made me become a fan of her music. For this third album, it seems that Dwezel Zappa has enhanced, and yet, slightly also screwed up Loeb's musical sensibility. Loeb can't make up her mind on what she's trying to present here. Is she siren folkie, a pop wannabe gyrator, or a loose college rock rehasher? Don't get me wrong...you can input a myriad of musical stylings into an album. But, if it's not tied well together, the results are more than likely unbearable. Also, Lisa Loeb's voice is lacking in its overall usual tone and quality.....on some tracks. Because of all this, 'Cake & Pie' takes a couple of listens to get used to Loeb's updated arrangements. So, once that issue has been rectified, most of the tracks on this album do in fact reveal their listening staying power (in fact, all but two songs: "Everyday" and "The Way It Really Is").The best songs, by far, are "Underdog" and "Kick Start"!So by comparing this album to her two previous ones, you'll be slightly put off at first, but you'll eventually be smiling after a few more thorough listens.It's good to see that Lisa Loeb continues her nice musical journey, while some of her other fellow female contemporaries are putting out lame tracks.Enjoy :-)"