Superlady

Hot on the heels of Dublin Dead. Everybody Gone, the Cake have bagged another four song half hour set. Weighing in somewhere between album and EP formats, Superlady is perhaps the Jimmys most varied release yet despite its duration. ‘Christmas On Easter Island’ sees them in pop post-rock shock mode, laden with sudden percussive punctuation and howling brass melodies.

A re-working of ‘Limestone Tiger’ is a curious one, not only for being the first ever Jimmy Cake track to feature vocals, but also because it’s composed entirely of the The Lismorahaun Singers flexing their tonsils in Lisdoonvarna Church. It adds both an air of classical sophistication and a good laugh to boot. ‘Are You Alright?’ is tender and reflective, framed around a chiming minimal piano. It almost appears to ask the listener the same question, offering an empathetic “there, there.” The closing title track is as definitive a Jimmy Cake opus as ‘This Used To Be The Future’ or the aforementioned ‘Limestone Tiger’. A recent live highlight, it takes up over half the audio space on this release yet doesn’t sound a second too long, teetering on that wonderful brink between noisy abandon and sweet, sweet melody.

If they keep up this work rate, there should be a box set ready for Christmas. The pleasure is all ours.