Lisa Loeb - Cake and Pie

There was a gap of about five years between Loeb's second and third albums, which is enough time for some sort of significant growth or stylistic alternation to have taken place. There's not much of such things on Cake & Pie, however. Loeb remains an above-average major-label singer/songwriter, given to pensive self-reflection that doesn't quite cross the line into self-absorption. The emphasis is on intense examination of the motives that drive, maintain, and sometimes erode relationships, passionate without boiling into a rage. Perhaps she should get a little more uncoiled once in a while, though, as the hardest-rocking numbers here, like "Payback" and "Too Fast Driving," deviate enough from her established brainy-yet-emotional persona to command a little more attention than usual. On the more expected acoustic-colored numbers, "She's Falling Apart" is, again, a standout in that it strips down the production to enough basics that the arrangement has an unguarded edginess on par with the wary uncertainty of the lyrics. Otherwise the melodies and playing tend too much toward average modern rock, albeit with more heart and intellect than most. As a singer, she remains pleasant and confident, but not so unique or fiery that she burns into the synapses as well as the best storytelling songwriters do. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Name Credits Abraham Laboriel Drums Alan Grunfeld Violin Anatoly Rosinsky Violin Armen Garabedian Violin Ben Loeb Conductor Berj Garabedian Violin Berta Camal Make-Up Bill Hughes Strings Contractor, String Contractor Bill Merryfield Art Direction, Design Bob Clearmountain Mixing Brian Dembow Viola Brian Vibberts Engineer Bruce Dukov Violin Cecilia Tsan Cello Charles Paakkari Assistant Engineer Charlie Bisharat Violin Clayton Haslop Violin Cory Churko Digital Editing Dan Coleman Conductor, String Arrangements Dave Bassett Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Acoustic) Dave Reitzas Mixing, Engineer David Boucher Engineer David Low Cello Derek Holt Vocals (Background), Bass (Acoustic) Dweezil Zappa Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Producer, Guitar (Electric), Fuzz Bass, Engineer Endre Granat Violin Eric Gaenslen Cello Gary Burr Engineer, Percussion Programming, Guitar (Acoustic) Howard Karp Assistant Engineer Jack Joseph Puig Mixing Jacqueline Brand Violin Jerry Schwartz Prop Stylist Jim Cox Keyboards Joe Quigley Bass Joe Travers Drum Fills, Drums, Percussion Joe Zook Assistant Engineer Joel Derouin Violin John Scanlon Viola Jonatha Brooke Vocals (Background) Larry Corbett Cello Leland Sklar Bass Lindy Robbins Vocal Arrangement Lisa Loeb Vocals, Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Piano, Guitar (Electric), Art Direction, Producer, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (12 String Electric) Mario Diaz de Leon Violin Mark Spencer Guitar Martin Beal Engineer Matt Chamberlain Drums Michael C. Ross Engineer Michael Sherwood Wurlitzer, Piano (Grand) Mike Glines Assistant Engineer Mike Shipley Mixing Mike Zainer Assistant Engineer Murray Adler Violin Natalie Leggett Violin Nick Marshall Assistant Engineer Nicole Frantz Art Direction Norman James Hair Stylist Pamela Goldsmith Viola Peter Collins Producer Rachel Zoe Wardrobe Randy Scruggs Guitar (Electric), Producer Ron Fair A&R, Executive Producer Ronny Crawford Percussion, Drums Rusty Anderson Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic) Sara Parkins Violin Simon Oswell Viola Stephen Erdody Cello Steve Deutsch Digital Editing, Pro-Tools Steve Forman Percussion Tal Herzberg Digital Editing Ted Jensen Mastering Tiffany Hu Violin Timothy Landauer Cello