While evasiveness, sarcasm, and prickly witticisms might not seem like a good time, Cake makes this unlikely recipe go down easy. The combo's crisp, no-nonsense attack suggests a bar band that's just discovered the art of writing snappy pop tunes, with frontman John McCrea's spidery guitar and Vincent Di Fiore's lonely trumpet weaving an alluring web. Smart ditties such as "Satan Is My Motor" and "Cool Blue Reason" are so instantly appealing that it takes a few listens to notice all the inventive touches. But the soul of Prolonging The Magic resides in its dour visions of love. A weary, bemused cousin of Ray Davies, McCrea portrays troubled romantics who hide their feelings behind a glib, jokey facade or fend off exposure with hostility. "Hem Of Your Garment" is an exercise in self-abasement that couldn't be less sincere; the sorry loser in "Alpha Beta Parking Lot" spends his time complaining about car fumes. McCrea's nonstop cleverness can misfire: the novelty tunes "When You Sleep" and "Sheep Go To Heaven" are more annoying than amusing. He cuts deeper by allowing a bit of old-fashioned vulnerability in the mix, as on the wistful "Walk On By" and the eloquent "Where Would I Be?"
