Showroom of Compassion
by Cake
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. The A.V. Club
    Jan 11, 2011
    83
    Fans of the band's old stuff should find plenty to love, even though it all feels pretty familiar.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Jan 7, 2011
    83
    The resulting confection tastes remarkably fresh, considering how few concessions it makes to contemporary trends.
  3. Q Magazine
    Jan 10, 2012
    80
    Seventeen years on,... Cake have lost none of their bite. [Feb. 2012 p. 101]
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  5. Beats Per Minute
    Jan 14, 2011
    80
    The band delivered a tight album with hardly any missteps. It might not have been worth the seven year wait, but it's a really enjoyable album nonetheless.
  6. Paste Magazine
    Jan 14, 2011
    77
    Retaking the reins and returning to their indie roots, Cake delivers after the lengthy hiatus. New, old, different or not, Cake fans will have plenty to appreciate.
  7. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Jan 20, 2011
    76
    Showroom of Compassion, is an amiable disc, even somewhat pleasant, but entirely too much of the effort feels tepid, ho-hum and downright uninspired.
  8. Los Angeles Times
    Jan 11, 2011
    75
    Recorded in the band's own solar-powered studio in Sacramento over a period of some two years, each song on Showroom of Compassion sounds nurtured into its ideal state.
  9. PopMatters
    Jan 20, 2011
    70
    Showroom of Compassion will fit in well with the rest of Cake's catalog. The band hasn't changed up their sound at all, but it feels fresh again.
  10. AllMusic
    Jan 11, 2011
    70
    2011's Showroom Of Compassion, still finds John McCrea writing like he's tossing off random thoughts as he struggles not to be overwhelmed by the voices in his head, and singing as if he's waiting for that grilled cheese sandwich he ordered to finally show up.
  11. Alternative Press
    Jan 11, 2011
    70
    Their fifth full-length Showroom Of Compassion shows Cake's key ingredients surviving their 20-year career unscathed. [Feb 2011, p.86]
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  12. Boston Globe
    Jan 10, 2011
    70
    There's more than just the Cake sound here, however, with forays into Beatles-esque day-tripping and mariachi-style border-jumping broadening the sonic scope and serving as a testament to how the band has stayed viable, one-trick pony misnomer to the contrary.
  13. Uncut
    Jan 13, 2012
    60
    There is, as usual, a lot of brass on cake's sixth album, a flourish that seem idiosyncratic 20 years ago but now leaves them sounding a little stale. [Feb 2012, p.83]
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  14. Urb
    May 9, 2011
    60
    Following a seven year gap between studio albums, Sacramento's CAKE is back with the compelling, yet inconsistent Showroom of Compassion.
  15. Rock Sound
    Jan 26, 2011
    60
    They've not lost their ability to craft subtly alluring, idiosyncratic songs in that time.
  16. American Songwriter
    Jan 19, 2011
    60
    The harder they aim for radio, the more rewarding the result. Beneath the irony and compact cool, Cake is still a great little pop band.
  17. Rolling Stone
    Jan 11, 2011
    60
    Cake graduated from the same Nineties class of alt-rock oddballs that produced Beck and Weezer.
  18. Consequence
    Jan 11, 2011
    50
    Production value has upped the ante sonically, and while there are those who might scoff at such a thing because lo-fi makes you cooler, Showroom Of Compassion does not shoot you in the eardrum with loudness battling, or undue sound effects and segues.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 25
  3. Negative: 1 out of 25
  1. NolanLundgaard
    Apr 10, 2020
    7
    Showroom Of Compassion by CAKE: 6.69

    Federal Funding: 0.75 Long Time: 1 :) Got To Move: 1 What’s Now Is Now: 1 Mustache Man (Wasted):    Showroom Of Compassion by CAKE: 6.69

    Federal Funding: 0.75
    Long Time: 1 :)
    Got To Move: 1
    What’s Now Is Now: 1
    Mustache Man (Wasted): 1 :)
    Teenage Pregnancy: 0.5
    Sick Of You: 1 :)
    Easy To Crash: 1 :)
    Bound Away: 0.75
    The Winter: 0.5
    Italian Guy: 0.5

    9/11 ~ .818 -> 6.69

    Showroom Of Compassion is CAKE’s most recent album, and it’s also one of their weakest. It gets the same score as Pressure Chief, though I am not sure which one I would favor in a comparison. Pressure Chief is more consistent in its song scores, but I have more favorites in this album. Either way, I wish that CAKE would produce more songs that resemble their older days, or at least in the Comfort Eagle era. That being said, I did really enjoy Mustache Man and Sick Of You, though there were a couple bland songs (odd for CAKE, as their music is usually unique). Of course, this wasn’t a bad album per se, it just was not as good as previous work by CAKE (I definitely think that this was a good album). If CAKE keeps producing music (which I hope they do), I hope they will revert back to some of their older stuff, as this is not quite as good compared to what they had made in Fashion Nugget and Prolonging the Magic. Highlights: Long Time, Got To Move, What’s Now Is Now, Mustache Man, Sick Of You, and Easy To Crash.    … Full Review »
  2. mlathb
    Oct 20, 2011
    7
    I liked this album. More than most Cake albums. Great sound and production values. Nice flow to the album and saw them on this tour and was aI liked this album. More than most Cake albums. Great sound and production values. Nice flow to the album and saw them on this tour and was a great show. I would suggest this show to any Cake fan. Solid 7… Full Review »
  3. kejaby
    Jan 30, 2011
    9
    Cake shows signs of maturity on their long awaited follow up to 2004's Pressure Chief. Although the single "Sick of You" is reminiscent ofCake shows signs of maturity on their long awaited follow up to 2004's Pressure Chief. Although the single "Sick of You" is reminiscent of Cake's biggest hits, songs like Mustache Man (wasted) and Bound Away show that this band is maturing and moving in all the right directions. If you haven't seen Cake live. You're missing a great show.… Full Review »
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