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Pressure Chief - Cake
  • Band Name: Cake
  • Record Label: Sony
  • Release Date: Oct 5, 2004
User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 27
  3. Negative: 2 out of 27

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  1. AlbertoM
    Nov 25, 2005
    8
    At last!, I thought they were dead creatively. Soberb album and change of course that brings them back on top of the indie scene, with their peculiar sound. More basses, more melody, more rhythm...more unique sound, pure Cake not seen since I will Survive to me. Sublime, record of the year in its genre.
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  2. JoeB
    Oct 24, 2004
    9
    Obviously no one here has a good ear for a decent soundtrack.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. TonyF.
    Feb 2, 2005
    9
    Awesome album..tones of catchy beats.. must be the best CAKE album..i highly recomend!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. [Anonymous]
    Aug 6, 2006
    0
    What happened!?!? I can't believe this travesty was made by Cake!
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  5. XalphR
    Nov 1, 2004
    10
    This album is amazing. I was actually worried that this was going to be a rehash album, with songs that sounded identical to "Going to Distance" or "Short Skirt / Long Jacket", but thankfully, that it not the case. (Don't get me wrong -- I enjoy the earlier songs, but they have already been done. It's over.) I can't believe the low scores that the professional music reviewers have given this album. It makes me wonder if they were listening to the same one as me. "No Phone" obviously gets a lot of play, and it is a good song. My favorite has to be "Take It All Away". The lyrics are amazing, with this extended metaphor comparing a broken relationship with a car wreck at his feet. This is easily the best new album that I have heard all year. I heartily recommend it.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. ChrisS
    Oct 12, 2004
    7
    While not their best effort, this long awaited fifth album will please the truest of CAKE fans. I just cant wait for the next!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. PaulA
    Jan 5, 2005
    7
    Like its four predecessors, this CD is something that needs to be absorbed in its entirety, and it takes a couple of listens all the way through to appreciate. Once the taste is acquired, though, it's a worthy successor to its forebears. As always, I take pleasure in the wit of the lyrics (the commentary on Americans in "Wheels" cracks me up every time). For the first time, there is an absolutely beautiful song in "Palm of Your Hand." I'm addicted to that and the crank-it-up finale, "Tougher Than It Is." I agree that the lyrics are a bit cumbersome at times, but that's Cake. I just appreciate creative music that doesn't insult my intelligence. Still, nothing beats Motorcade of Generosity.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. KenN
    Feb 10, 2005
    10
    Best new music I've heard in many years, unfortunately, it's the first Cake album I've heard as well, but I can fix that.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. BrandonR
    May 2, 2005
    10
    Cake's done it again, and it's no surprise. These guys don't mess around; McCrea is one of the best pure songwriters today, gathering inspiration from numerous musical genres past and present while translating them into something unmistakeably "Cake," and the instrumentation/layering simply cannot be beat. Critics who write Cake off as a novelty have forsaken the pure joy of music. Interestingly, and although still stellar, "No Phone" is probably the second weakest track.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. LukeH
    Nov 25, 2004
    10
    This is an awesome release by Cake - The top song being "No Phone"!! No Phone was a huge hit at the Center in Vancouver!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. essronx
    Nov 29, 2004
    10
    best cake record ever. i think its a totally new direction for them. subtlty which will suprise you for weeks on end. lunacy in the details. listen carefully.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  12. mark
    Dec 13, 2004
    7
    this album took me a minute or two to get used to, but soon i loved it. the length is an issue. i dont like how in interviews, mcrea said something about the band not being appealing, and was putting his own band down. they are great, i dont care what anyone thinks. i blast it in my car and sing every word with all my energy.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  13. leee
    Oct 28, 2004
    9
    The only thing wrong with this cd is its length--it's too short! But other than that it'great. Once again they have managed to create music that is at the same time new and different, and old and familiar. I love how every cd has a different sound, but still is very much Cake. That's what makes a great band. The only other bands I can think of that have managed to pull it off are Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  14. LexingtonK
    Dec 8, 2004
    4
    The CD certainly maintains the Cake sound, but is a drop in quality. The music's competent and upbeat, but wasn't quite compelling. The lyrics have fallen a lot more compared to previous albums. Most notably, "too much carbon monoxide" is horrible. The CD does have it's moments though.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  15. Ravenous
    Sep 30, 2010
    9
    I can't believe this album doesn't get better ratings. Dime? Wheels? Guitar Man? Carbon Monoxide? ... some of their best work, and overall a much better and much more clever album than Comfort Eagle. While Pressure Chief probably isn't my favorite CAKE album (that would be either Prolonging the Magic or Fashion Nugget), it certainly isn't far from the top.
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
52 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. All Music Guide
    70
    Smart, subtly subversive, and always catchy - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
    Read full review
  2. cokemachineglow
    56
    Although Pressure Chief isn't a bad album, several of its songs come off like b-side compliation fodder rather than a batch of fresh material.
    Read full review
  3. Rolling Stone
    40
    Only a handful of tracks -- including "No Phone" and the surprisingly sweet "She'll Hang the Baskets" -- push pleasure buttons like they ought to.
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