It's been five years since, "The Distance" was a hit, and three years since they released an album, but Cake are back with this, their forth album, and first on a major label. Has anything changed? Well no, not at all.

On first listen, Comfort Eagle is as pedestrian as an album can get. Singer John McCrea's monotonal voice just breezes by with little or no effect, and just over 30 minutes later, the album ends, and you think to yourself, "what? Is that it?".

However what you find with Cake albums, and especially this one, one listen is definately not enough, neither is two, or three for that matter. It takes plenty of listens for all the subtle hooks and choruses, that makes the songs that much better, to take effect.

"Opera Singer" opens with the album, putting all the eggs in one basket: Funky drumbeat, jazzy guitar, hand-claps, funky electronics, jazzy trumpet, vocals - in that order, all in the first twenty seconds. That's more or less what you get with this album. It just takes repeated listens for the hooks and choruses to become embedded into your skull.

"Commissioning a Symphony in C" is the only track on here that actually strives to reach third gear, as the throbbing bass intro immediately jumps at you. However the other ten tracks are all stuck in second gear, which does get repetative and boring after a while, as you question to yourself whether you're listening to the same song or not.

"Love You Madly" and "Pretty Pink Ribbon" stick out like a saw thumb as the best tracks on here, as immediately the tunes from both have that "sing-in-the-shower-type" about them, with subtle but killer choruses that you won't be able to get rid of.

Comfort Eagle is a good "laid-back" album. There's nothing fancy, incredible or inspiring on it, but Cake aren't that type of band. For Cake fans, it's definately worth getting.