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Dreamcake

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Dreamcake
Studio album by
Released12 July 1994
Genrealternative rock
LabelSub Pop[1]
ProducerBrad Wood[2]

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, and sung by Pierce, was released as a single.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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

  1. "Not Happy" – 2:54
  2. "Nebulous" – 2:53
  3. "3 Days" – 3:26
  4. "To Be Your Friend" – 2:30
  5. "Again" – 3:21
  6. "River" – 3:28
  7. "I'm Sorry" – 2:15
  8. "Mend" – 2:10
  9. "The Unseen Guest" – 2:29
  10. "Love Letter" – 3:21
  11. "Emma" – 2:41
  12. "Promise (Jimmybeane Majestic Version)" – 4:34

Personnel

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  • Jennifer Pierce – guitar
  • Alyson MacLeod – drums
  • Laura Stein – bass guitar
  • Eve Hartling – guitar

References

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  1. ^ "Dreamcake". Sub Pop Records.
  2. ^ a b Barclay, Michael (2001). Have Not Been the Same: The Canrock Renaissance, 1985-1995. ECW Press. pp. 510–513.
  3. ^ "Sub Pop 1995 Feature: Swingin' on the Flippity Flop with Sub Pop". Spin. April 2, 2018.
  4. ^ Johns, Stephanie. "Listen to this: Jale, "Again" (Komoda mix)". The Coast Halifax.
  5. ^ "HALIFAX GRUNGE | Maclean's | NOVEMBER 28, 1994". Maclean's | The Complete Archive.
  6. ^ Gubbins, Teresa, Dallas Morning. "BANDS TAKE A SINGULAR ATTITUDE". OrlandoSentinel.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Boldman, Gina. "Review: Dreamcake". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  8. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 559.
  9. ^ Reger, Rick. "Jale". Chicago Reader.
  10. ^ "Sub Pop's Top 10 Canadian-made Albums". exclaim.ca.
  11. ^ Kening, Dan. "Other concerts of note: Jale, Tuesday at Lounge Ax". chicagotribune.com.
  12. ^ "Jale". Trouser Press. Retrieved 26 July 2020.