Lisa Loeb'Cake and Pie'

A&M Records

Grade: B+

Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb recently released "Cake and Pie," her first album in five years. The bespectacled Brown University graduate best known for her number one single, "Stay" from the "Reality Bites" soundtrack, has returned to her usually smartly-written, folk-rock songs on her new album.

All of her songs can easily strike chords with listeners, as the issues she sings about are common and timely. Loeb crafts the songs well, writing hooking choruses and softer verses that tell stories, often in a narrative fashion. The album's first single, "Someone You Should Know," speaks of the necessity of being honest and open. She muses, "How do you keep it up? / It's all a front, a dangerous stunt / You're gonna come down soon enough." Verses like this, combined with an infectious, harder-rocking chorus make "Someone You Should Know" a great song to sing along with.

Another standout track is the album's opener "The Way It Really Is," which combines a slightly darker sound with a softer, echoing voice. Loeb wonders if she's just hiding in her own confusions and doesn't want to see it "the way it really is." Self-exploration of emotions is a common thread running through "Cake and Pie." These personal lyrics help to connect Loeb with her listeners, who can easily understand and relate to her feelings.

"Too Fast Driving" is a fast-paced number that would be an enjoyable song to listen to while on the road. She speaks of how "Driving I was thinking / You're my flat tire," which, while quite a simple metaphor, still manages to be very effective. She accuses the song's subject of being "stupid loud," "wreckless" and "spinning out." The faster guitar riffs, however, and road sounds add more to the song than the lyrics do on this track.

The album's standout track, at least in the way of narratives, is definitely "She's Falling Apart," which eloquently discusses a young girl's struggle with anorexia. This troubled young woman is pushing both food and her parents out of her life. While it is an acoustic song, it is the most powerful one because of the social issue, as the lyrics "Even though nobody's looking / She's falling apart" exemplify. A song like this speaks to the millions of teenage girls who must deal with societal and familial pressures each day, and sometimes turn to eating disorders to regain control of their lives. Loeb should be applauded for discussing such a serious issue on her album in an interesting and touching manner.

Loeb has a beautiful voice and is a talented instrumentalist. While it took five years for her to release this album, for Loeb fans it was definitely worth the wait. She has not been particularly innovative with regards to style; "Cake and Pie" is similar to her other albums, rather than representing a true growth as an artist. However, since Loeb has always been smart and interesting, she did not need to evolve in order to make a great album. To use her food terminology associated with the album, "Cake and Pie" is definitely worth a large helping.