Dreamcake
| Dreamcake | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 July 1994 | |||
| Genre | alternative rock | |||
| Label | Sub Pop[1] | |||
| Producer | Brad Wood[2] | |||
| Jale chronology | ||||
| ||||
Dreamcake is the first album by the Halifax, Nova Scotia, band Jale.[2][3][4] It was released in 1994 on Sub Pop Records.[5][6]
The only Jale album with the singer-songwriter-drummer Alyson McLeod, the songs on Dreamcake are considered[by whom?] edgier and more emotional than those of Jale's later work.
The closing track, "Promise", written by Jennifer Pierce and Patrick Pentland of Sloan, and sung by Pierce, was released as a single.
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
The Chicago Reader wrote that the album "displays a precocious craft that lifts [Jale] well above one-trick-pony status."[9] Exclaim! called Dreamcake one of the ten best Canadian-made Sub Pop records, writing that "hypnotic Halifax pop swirls between the speakers on 'Again,' while 'Mend' threads together elements of jangling twee and paisley-print psychedelia."[10] The Chicago Tribune wrote that "with a bit less aggression than Hole and less cutesy-ness than Shonen Knife, [Jale] incorporate just enough guitar noise to counterbalance all those delightful pop hooks."[11]
Trouser Press wrote: "A diverse collection of contemporary electric indie-pop styles (some audibly influenced by Sloan) from a palette of appealing melodies, gentle harmony singing and buzzing guitar power, the casual-sounding record articulates the longings and frustrations of mindful young women who know when to draw the line and walk away from a bad scene."[12]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks by Jale
- "Not Happy" – 2:54
- "Nebulous" – 2:53
- "3 Days" – 3:26
- "To Be Your Friend" – 2:30
- "Again" – 3:21
- "River" – 3:28
- "I'm Sorry" – 2:15
- "Mend" – 2:10
- "The Unseen Guest" – 2:29
- "Love Letter" – 3:21
- "Emma" – 2:41
- "Promise (Jimmybeane Majestic Version)" – 4:34
Personnel
[edit]- Jennifer Pierce – guitar
- Alyson MacLeod – drums
- Laura Stein – bass guitar
- Eve Hartling – guitar
References
[edit]- ^ "Dreamcake". Sub Pop Records.
- ^ a b Barclay, Michael (2001). Have Not Been the Same: The Canrock Renaissance, 1985-1995. ECW Press. pp. 510–513.
- ^ "Sub Pop 1995 Feature: Swingin' on the Flippity Flop with Sub Pop". Spin. April 2, 2018.
- ^ Johns, Stephanie. "Listen to this: Jale, "Again" (Komoda mix)". The Coast Halifax.
- ^ "HALIFAX GRUNGE | Maclean's | NOVEMBER 28, 1994". Maclean's | The Complete Archive.
- ^ Gubbins, Teresa, Dallas Morning. "BANDS TAKE A SINGULAR ATTITUDE". OrlandoSentinel.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Boldman, Gina. "Review: Dreamcake". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 559.
- ^ Reger, Rick. "Jale". Chicago Reader.
- ^ "Sub Pop's Top 10 Canadian-made Albums". exclaim.ca.
- ^ Kening, Dan. "Other concerts of note: Jale, Tuesday at Lounge Ax". chicagotribune.com.
- ^ "Jale". Trouser Press. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
