Much like Camper Van Beethoven or a streamlined Flaming Lips, Cake turn the crazy and the absurd into tunes accessible for everyone. The blare of horns for “Federal Funding” throws off a deceptively festive air. “Long Time” uses a stripped-down frame to kick up the new-wave vibe with tight harmonies and a swooping synthesizer. Singer John McCrea receives plenty of flack and praise for singing like he’d rather be somewhere else, but his deadpan delivery on Frank Sinatra’s “What’s Now Is Now” or his own “Sick of You” adds a sense of modern-day frustration to the variety of sentiments. “Teenage Pregnancy” is a downcast instrumental that refrains from making any comment. “Bound Away” trends towards a country waltz. “The Winter” throws together an icy pop song that sounds like it’s celebrating a Russian blizzard. “Italian Guy” throws together a peppy horn chart and a nightclub piano for McCrea to contemplate in that usually witty and slightly detached way that has become purely his own.