Cake on Cake - I Guess I Was Daydreaming

Cake on Cake is, as her press kit reads, “a one-woman Swedish orchestra” exhibiting the copious talents of 25-year old vocalist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Helena Sundin. The 15 tracks (14 originals and one Destroyer cover) on Sundin’s second full-length mix elements of electronica, folk and pop with engaging vocals to result in a fresh, winsome sound that exudes a radiant innocence. As Sundin’s layered vocals playfully entreat, “Come on, come on, come my rainbow” through the album’s opening strains, the stage is set for a brisk, wide-eyed journey through 36 minutes of lovely melodies and orchestrations. One of Sundin’s special achievements is making her music sound so effortless while being credited with playing at least sixteen instruments on the album (with who knows how many being classified under “other percussive instruments and electronics”). As much of the material on I Guess I Was Daydreaming is thematically and sonically similar, the little touches Sundin adds through her cache of instruments go a long way. The album’s best work, which includes songs like “Sea-Microphone”, “Francoise” and “We Want to Be Happy”, place Sundin’s vocals at the center of attention, allowing her to layer tracks when depth is needed and echo herself to add a sweet-sounding sense of persistence. My chief complaint with I Guess I Was Daydreaming is that, with only two songs topping three minutes, there is very little time for Sundin to develop or experiment with the delightful sounds she creates. While brevity is used to striking effect on some tracks, others would benefit from gradual expansion. Even at just 36 minutes, the album seems a bit repetitive by track 15 and employing these techniques could have prevented this. While Sweden has a dubious track record with their pop imports (Ace of Base was my generation’s albatross), Sundin has the opportunity to chart a new course and breakthrough on musical merits alone. I Guess I Was Daydreaming is just the album to do so and proves one of the more intriguing releases of this young year. [www.cakeoncake.com]