Cake - Comfort Eagle

Todd Roper first joined Cake to play on their second record, Fashion Nugget. He established himself as a rarity, a rock drummer who was a minimalist. Roper rarely left the pocket and his fills were simple, precise and exactly what was needed in a band as multi-layered as Cake.

Roper developed his minimalist approach as time went on, and by the time their fourth record, Comfort Eagle came out, his playing felt a lot more like a Hip Hop drummer playing in a rock band. I've always had an interest in subtle playing (probably because I am terrible at it) and Comfort Eagle is a fantastic example of how slight variations in technique can really affect a song. In Shadow Stabbing, Ropers kick drum keeps a steady bossa nova pattern, but in the choruses he straightens it out, really driving the vocals.

Meanwhile Rick James has some cool kick drum/bass guitar pairing, and Roper throws in random tom hits and wood blocks to keep things interesting. Roper hasn't lost his rock roots, he merely chooses when to showcase them. Commissioning a Symphony in C and Arco Arena are good examples of proper rock drumming.

I've listened to this record hundreds of times, it always finds it's way into my summer play lists, and it is solid the whole way through. Long Line of Cars has some of those subtle fills I was talking about (as well as a catchy horn line at the end) and Love You Madly is probably my favorite Roper performance of the album, he plays a slick high hat pattern and keeps his kick and snare at a minimum so as to leave room for a conga rhythm that is buried underneath it all.

Cake are one of those bands that have dozens of little parts buried under the main song, and it's a treat to listen to it with headphones and pick out all the hand claps, bells, clocks, horns and tambourines.

It's like musical Wheres Waldo.

Audio/Visual Evidence : Comfort Eagle, Love You Madly