''Dreamcake'' is the first album by the Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, band Jale. It was released in 1994 on

Sub Pop Records Sub is a common abbreviation of words beginning with the prefix "sub-". Sub or SUB may also refer to Places * Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, Indonesia, IATA code SUB Computing and technology * , an HTML tag for subscript * SUB designat ...

. The only Jale album with the singer-songwriter-drummer Alyson McLeod, the songs on ''Dreamcake'' are considered edgier and more emotional than those of Jale's later work. The closing track, "Promise", written by Jennifer Pierce and Patrick Pentland, and sung by Pierce, was released as a single.

Critical reception

The ''

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'' wrote that the album "displays a precocious craft that lifts

ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

well above one-trick-pony status." ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' called ''Dreamcake'' one of the ten best Canadian-made Sub Pop records, writing that "hypnotic Halifax pop swirls between the speakers on 'Again,' while 'Mend' threads together elements of jangling twee and paisley-print psychedelia." The ''

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'' wrote that "with a bit less aggression than Hole and less cutesy-ness than Shonen Knife,

incorporate just enough guitar noise to counterbalance all those delightful pop hooks." ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' wrote: "A diverse collection of contemporary electric indie-pop styles (some audibly influenced by Sloan) from a palette of appealing melodies, gentle harmony singing and buzzing guitar power, the casual-sounding record articulates the longings and frustrations of mindful young women who know when to draw the line and walk away from a bad scene."

Track listing

All tracks by Jale # "Not Happy" – 2:54 # "Nebulous" – 2:53 # "3 Days" – 3:26 # "To Be Your Friend" – 2:30 # "Again" – 3:21 # "River" – 3:28 # "I'm Sorry" – 2:15 # "Mend" – 2:10 # "The Unseen Guest" – 2:29 # "Love Letter" – 3:21 # "Emma" – 2:41 # "Promise (Jimmybeane Majestic Version)" – 4:34

Personnel

*Jennifer Pierce – guitar *Alyson MacLeod – drums *Laura Stein – bass guitar *Eve Hartling – guitar

References

{{Authority control Sub Pop albums Jale albums 1994 albums albums produced by Brad Wood