‘Cake and Pie’

By Leigh E. Rich

Lisa Loeb
Cake and Pie
A&M
B+

With her new album, pop star Lisa Loeb has her cake and eats it, too.

But unlike the Gen-X “Stay,” made popular by the film Reality Bites, the majority of servings on Cake and Pie have a darker flavor, thanks to both Loeb’s tart choice of topics and a heavy dose of electric guitars provided by Randy Scruggs, Rusty Anderson, and Dweezil Zappa.

Loeb’s relatively simplistic lyrics—one is hard pressed to find polysyllabic words anywhere in the liner notes—belie the richness Cake and Pie offers, with lovelorn songs such as “Everyday,” “Drops Me Down,” and “Bring Me Up” just a taste of the storyteller’s musical culinary skills.

“Kick Start,” about a stale relationship, and “She’s Falling Apart,” a folky take on eating disorders, blend smoothly with spicier songs such as “The Way It Really Is”—sure to be a radio single—and “We Could Still Belong Together,” used in the movie Legally Blonde.

This recipe, mixed with Loeb’s sweet voice, bakes to a savory confection that lingers on the lips. 

Rich, L. E. (2002, March 20). Lisa Loeb: ‘Cake and Pie.’ CU-Denver Advocate.