Album Review: Mother’s Cake – Cyberfunk!
Having played shows with the likes of Iggy and the Stooges, Limp Bizkit, and Wolfmother, Mother’s Cake are a melting pop of rock influences. It’s very cool how they combine all these influences, while their previous albums have gained support from the likes of Louder Sound and Rolling Stone.
It’s hard to really pin down the bands sound, but that is what makes them great. The band say that making their latest album Cyberfunk! allowed them to think carefully about where they want to place the tracks. “…after some of the songs were finished, it was a very conscious decision as to which belonged where. Yves (lead vocals / guitar) thinks very carefully about this and likes to create surprises from song to song, so some were deliberately written to fit the appropriate spot.”
This helps create a cohesive pattern that works very well across the album. The Arctic Monkeys influence can be heard on the psychedelic and tender ‘Love Your Smell.’ It shows a very tight musicianship. The flanger on the guitar creates a spaced out atmosphere that recalls The Vines and Splashh. It puts the listener in a relaxed mood and acts as a calm before the storm of ‘The Operator.’
‘The Operator’ contains a strong energy and vigour. It incorporates a groovy bass riff that sounds awesome because the distortion melts your face – it’s a joy to listen to. The vocal melody is also very catchy and helps the track stand out. One minor gripe however is that although it is powerful, it could have been boosted in the mix. Another song which contains a similar energy is the opener, ‘Toxic Brother.’
For an album opener, you want to get the listener into your music. You want them to hear what you’re all about. ‘Toxic Brother’, with its distorted guitar and driving riff, does exactly this. The echo and flanger on the vocals is refreshing because I haven’t heard it before. It will make the listener bop their head, while the songwriting is phenomenal. The panning in the vocals creates a futuristic effect, setting the tone for the rest of the album.
The singles are the strong point of the album. ‘Crystals in the Sky’ is similar to Led Zeppelin. It contains another driving bassline, which is evident in the song’s break and guitar solo. The solo itself is another refreshing twist because it adds something different. The energy of ‘I’m Your President’ is funky and jazzy, with a passionate vocal delivery. It shows that they are able to mesh different styles together and do it well.
Mother’s Cake have played shows all over the world. While touring is unfortunately limited in this climate, Cyberfunk! Is the type of pummeling album where you can have a mosh in your living room.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos