Spin Doctors, Casual Rock Fans Will Equally Appreciate The Band’s Latest LP

BY: Philip Sayblack

​Alt-rock outfit Spin Doctors is an act that deserves so much respect.  That is because over the course of its 30-year-plus life, the band has pushed on through matters that would have (and have) led so many of its contemporaries to call it quits long before and kept making music.  From front man Chris Barron’s vocal issues years ago that could have ended his career, to dealing with issues with record labels, to lineup changes, to band members being busy along the way with their own side projects, the band could have easily just called it quits long ago. 
That trend continued this past April as the band, in its current iteration, released its latest album, Face Full of Cake.  The 12-song presentation, released through Capitol Records, is an enjoyable new offering from the veteran band, as its four already released singles – which make up the first half of the album – have shown.  They are just some of the songs that show how much the album has to offer.  ‘Double Parked,’ which closes out the album’s first half, is its own notable addition to the record.  It will be addressed shortly.  ‘The Buddha oh the Lawn,’ which is part of the album’s second half, is just as notable.  It will be discussed a little later.  ‘When You Got Turmoil On Your Mind,’ the album’s closer, is one more example of the album’s appeal.  It will also be examined later.  All three songs work in their own way to make this record worth hearing.  When they are considered along with the album’s singles and that whole with the remaining entries, the whole therein makes Face Full of Cake a welcome return for Spin Doctors and an equally welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock records.Face Full of Cake, the latest album from Spin Doctors, is an impressive new offering from the veteran alt-rock outfit.  That is especially notable considering the fact that it is the band’s first new album in more than a decade (12 years to be exact).  The album’s singles, which make up most of the first half of the album, make that clear in their own way and are only part of what audiences have to appreciate.  There are other notable entries in this record, such as ‘Double Parked,’ which closes out the record’s first half.  This song is notable in part because of its musical arrangement.  The arrangement is a dual style presentation.  The verses are light and subdued and honestly somewhat comparable to lighter works from the likes of King’s X.  The choruses meanwhile are slightly heavier and more clearly blues based.  The duality of that presentation, the back and forth of the musical approaches herein make the arrangement a solid foundation for the song.
Building on that foundation is the lyrical theme featured alongside that content.  The lyrical material here comes across as coming from the vantage point of someone who is in a very negative head space.  Barron even sings in the song’s chorus, “Doing my best/I’m deeply depressed/You can’t pet every dog that barks/Remind me to tell you why/The tub’s full of shark/ But it’s a long story and I’m double parked.”  That depression becomes even clearer in the song’s lead verse and chorus, in which Barron’s subject sings, “Head in the clouds/And I’m afraid to fail/Got a knife in my shoulder/And I can’t inhale/I try to quit/But I can only quail/And I lost my card that says/”Get out of jail”/Plastic people with electric books/Dogs on the street all giving me looks/Not enough shepherds and too many crooks/Not enough mermaids and too many hooks.”  Those “electric books” could be a reference to all the fake people out and about on their phones, making it all about themselves while the mention of there being not enough shepherds and too many crooks is clearly a reference to there being too many bad people and not enough good.  The subject’s frustration at it all is clear in this wording.  The frustrations continue in the song’s chorus as Barron sings, “Foot on the brake/And a face full of cake/I took off my shoes and stepped on a rake/Single shot/Double take/Bad faith for goodness sake.”  Again, here is a statement of the subject trying to do good but only getting punished for it.  The heavier edge to the chorus’s musical approach makes even more sense considering this.  The mood is edgier here.  It comes across as the frustration reaching a point between the verses and choruses.  To that end, the whole of the song’s musical and lyrical content makes clear why ‘Double Parked’ is another notable addition to Face Full of Cake.
‘Double Parked’ is just one additional example of what makes Face Full of Cake worth hearing.  ‘The Buddha On The Lawn,’ which comes early in the album’s second half, is another example of the album’s appeal.it is the antithesis of ‘Double Parked.’  Where that song was edgy and contemplative, ‘The Buddha On The Lawn’ is a celebratory song  Right from the song’s opening bars, guitarist Eric Schenkman pays homage to the classic rock sounds that built the foundation for today’s rock.  The most notable comparison is to works from the likes of Lyrnyrd Skynyrd.  The overall southern rock approach and sound here is certain in its own right to engage and entertain audiences as it is presented alongside the song’s lyrical theme, which is itself a loving recollection of the past.
Whether being about Barron’s childhood or someone else’s, the story is still fun, too.  That is because of the loving memory that is presented about the subject’s dad and how he decorated his lawn with things like gnomes and pink flamingos.  As the song continues, the subject says he is facing the same issue with his wife that his own dad had with his mom.  It is just a fun, lighthearted story that together with the song’s equally infectious musical arrangement, is sure to resonate with audiences.
As the album reaches its finale, ‘When You Got Turmoil On Your Mind,’ the mood changes dramatically.  The whole of the song’s arrangement is a subdued, contemplative work that is so beautiful in its pained delivery.  Even being so difficult to take in, it still will resonate with audiences in its own right because it is presented in such honest fashion.  This especially as it pairs with the song’s lyrical content.
That lyrical content does not try to offer any consolation.  It just points out what people go through in those tough situations.  What is so interesting here is that taking this approach is actually a good thing.  That is because it says to audiences, these matters are what they go through, rather than just trying to be sappy and schmaltzy.  Audiences can read and hear the delivered words and say to themselves, “that’s exactly right.”  In making that connection with listeners, said content will let audiences know they are not alone in their trials and tribulations.  To that end, this lyrical content and its delivery style works expertly with the song’s equally rich musical arrangement to make for a powerful final statement from Spin Doctors on its latest album.  It works with the other examined songs and that whole with the album’s singles and other songs to make the whole one a welcome return from Spin Doctors and a welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.
Face Full of Cake, the latest album from Spin Doctors, is a presentation that the band’s established audiences will agree is a welcome return from the veteran alt-rock outfit.  Its singles, which make up the record’s first half, make that clear through their musical and lyrical content.  Much the same can be said of other entries, such as the songs examined here.  When that whole is considered alongside the remainder of the record’s offerings, the whole therein makes Face Full of Cake a return that audiences will agree was worth the wait and that is a welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.
Face Full of Cake is available now through Capitol Records.  More information on the album is available along with all of Spin Doctors’ news at:
Website: https://spindoctors.com
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