By Christine Saraceno
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In a world full of carbon-copy Pop stars singing generic songs about “poppin’ bottles,” alternative funk masters Cake haven’t lost their edge or their individuality. After a seven year hiatus their highly anticipated and entirely self-produced new album “Showroom of Compassion” was finally released on Jan. 10, and it definitely delivers.

Chock full of fun and upbeat tunes it will make listeners want to get up and dance, or at the very least, bob their heads a bit. “Showroom of Compassion” showcases a perfect blend of vocals, infectious choruses, and Vince DiFiore’s always catchy trumpeting.

The lead single of the album, “Sick of You,” is already the band’s highest charting song since 1998’s “Never There,” with the song reaching number one on the Canadian alternative chart.

Putting the album together was no simple task for the Sacramento natives though. The band mates were pushed by Columbia Records during the making of 2004’s “Pressure Chief” to make their sound more appealing to mainstream radio stations and their audiences. This led to them severing ties with the label and creating Upbeat Records so they could retain full control over their music.

“Major labels work for artists like Jay-Z and Taylor Swift, where there is some celebrity to the artist. They can market that. They don’t know how to market Cake,” front man John McCrea told “Rolling Stone.”

With the new found freedom of self-producing, they even decided to experiment with an entire song based on jazz piano (“Teenage Pregnancy”) and even a track with a country groove feel (“Bound Away.”) These are feats they never would of imagined attempting on previous albums.

In what could have been a disastrous career move, Cake overcame and produced a fantastic and versatile album that will captivate listeners until the very last song.