Cake by The Trash Can Sinatras

Cake, the Trash Can Sinatras' debut, came out on Go! Discs on 18 June 1990, and it was made in a studio the band owned. The Irvine, Scotland outfit had been spotted by Simon Dine in 1987, signed quickly, and spent the advance on a studio in Kilmarnock they christened Shabby Road. John Leckie produced, working with the lineup of Frank Reader singing, Paul Livingston and John Douglas on guitars, Davy Hughes on bass and Stephen Douglas on drums.

It's jangle pop with a sharp tongue: chiming, layered guitars, wistful harmonies and lyrics crammed with puns and clever turns. Record Mirror loved the guitars and the wit but thought the production thickened some tracks into fog; Trouser Press called it exceptionally good and heard a faint touch of cool jazz on the band's folky frames. "Obscurity Knocks" was the big hit, while "Only Tongue Can Tell" and "Circling the Circumference" were alternative hits too. At home it reached 74 on the UK chart.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.