Cake (Columbia)

"I am an opera singer" is an unlikely first line for a pop song. Then again, this humor-fueled California quintet rarely serves up something predictable. Imagine a lilting, white-boy funk version of "I Will Survive," and you'll get a good sense of this band's eclectic sound. Of course, you don't have to imagine it: Cake archly covered the Gloria Gaynor disco classic in 1996.

These days singer and songwriter John McCrea writes his own material in the same vein: vaguely clever genre-bending backed by a dance-able beat. At its best Cake achieves a laid-back vibe that mixes wildly different styles. Hard-rock guitars meet cheesy new-wave synthesizers on the title track. On "Short Skirt/ Long Jacket," a Mexican-style trumpet happily cohabits with rap lyrics.

Thanks to McCrea's flat, deadpan delivery, it's hard to know if these guys mean what they sing. There are plenty of wise observations here but always with lots of yuks. Either way, their musical experimentation is seriously fun—and sometimes even comforting.

Bottom Line: Devilish pop tunes, plenty of icing