Keepaway are playing a dangerous game with "Cake." Like, had this song come out in 2007's halcyon days of post-Animal Collective, African music obsessions, it would have found a comfortable home next to the other people that were doing somewhat similar stuff. Instead they made it now, and it stands out more for it. The beauty of "Cake" is that although it sounds kinda like then, it could really only exist now (also there are still plenty of avenues to be explored within that lane! Just saying). Maybe Keepaway had to get comfortable processing their influences into something polished. How else do you synthesize a life of music listening that amounts to what would happen if Timbaland in his prime shared iTunes space with The Strokes and Gang Gang Dance and, like, Ethiopiques compilations? "Cake" is overly bright, intensely catchy and it sounds like everything. Turns out there's nothing wrong with that. Keepaway's Black Flute is out January 10th.
