CD Review: The Cake Sale

Here are a few songs from The Cake Sale:
Last Leaf and
Some Surprise

When you think of a dessert, what comes to mind? Something to satisfy a craving; something that leaves you wanting more of it, even if you’ve already had “enough”; something that tastes best handmade--when it’s been put together with the kind of ingredients that complement each other perfectly. The Cake Sale offers all these attributes in a record. It’s sweetened with just the right amount of emotion, and you better believe it took a lot to make it that way.

You try getting a bunch of Ireland’s notable musicians together so that you can cram all their talent into a little 9 track record without leaving gaps or making a mess. It’s a tough job, and it was successfully accomplished by many, including a few musicians we recognize here in the United States. Take the familiar voice we heard in a few early Damien Rice tracks, Lisa Hannigan… Let’s not forget to mention Gary Lightbody, Snow Patrol’s leading man, along with the well-known voice of a gal we recognize from the Cardigans, Nina Persson. Yep, these artists and a few others are on here, and they’re sounding better than ever.

The Cake Sale’s cover looks delicious, so you’d expect the music on the CD to sound just as tasty. It does. I’d say some of the best tracks on there are “Black Winged Bird,” “Some Surprise,” and “Last Leaf”. All these songs are smooth, sounding natural and earthy—far from heavy, in both the emotional and musical sense. This release can easily be classified as mellow folk, with a few hints of rock thrown in for spice.

As far as the story behind The Cake Sale goes, it’s actually a “charity” album, created with the intention of raising money for a Make Trade Fair Campaign headed by Oxfam Records—The Cake Sale’s record label. Just because the money this CD brings in is going to support a worthy cause, it doesn’t mean the artists are skimping on the music quality they’re offering supporters. In this case, both parties benefit. The Cake Sale will not be a disappointing buy; it has already gone double platinum in Ireland!

Band Review: Iron and Wine

Sub Pop has kept me satisfied as the record label for many of my favorite independent artists and groups, including Iron and Wine. Sam Beam is the man behind it all. Soulful and simple, with vocals that are often sung barely above a whisper, he can create music that resembles a simple lullabye that's been dressed up with delicate notes and smooth lyrics. Iron and Wine's songs unfold like stories, each one has its own individual theme while still maintaining the folky essence that gives Beam's music its character.

"Waiting for a Superman" does a good job of highlighting Beam's ability to create uncomplicated beauty without needing anything more than his soft spoken voice and a lightly played guitar. "Such Great Heights," featured on the Garden State Soundtrack, does the same as The Postal Service's well-known and primarily electronic jam is taken down a couple of notches so that it sounds more like a timeless piece from the past rather than a new track.

Iron and Wine's songs have a personal quality about them without being too emotionally heavy. Listeners will be drawn-in and maybe even taken-back to another time while a banjo and acoustic guitar each play their part in conjuring up a sense of nostalgia within them. Even though they only have a few albums under their belt, it's apparent that Sam Beam's Iron and Wine value quality over quantity, as each song reflects a good investment of time and talent.