Cut The With The Cake Knife was recorded by Rose McDowall in 1988/89 following the break up of her group Strawberry Switchblade. Produced with the aid of several musicians in several studios, the album features songs written for the fabled second Strawberry Switchblade album. More importantly perhaps it showcases the honest, direct and life-affirming songs of one of the greatest unsung songwriters of the modern pop era at a tumultuous time in her career. Tibet opens the set and could be one of the best pop songs you ve never heard. The innate sadness of the songs' content - the loss of a friendship, impending sorrow - is heightened to heart-melting level by McDowall's pop nous and melodic sensibility. Choruses and hooks are everywhere on Cake Knife, from the outsider take on stadium 80s pop in Wings Of Heaven to the spiraling, ecstatic So Vicious, a glorious anthem that highlights the human fragility in McDowall's vocal performance, an instrument that has never lost the naïve purity it first exemplified in Strawberry Switchblade's early 80s recordings. The centerpiece of the album, the title-track, is the greatest Switchblade pop chart hit that never was. Like the veiled melancholy of her former group's hits, Cut With The Cake Knife hints at a darkness beneath the gloss, a darkness that saw McDowall delve into more esoteric territory with her subsequent recordings and collaborations. Cut With The Cake Knife serves as the bridge between the pop music McDowall had been making with her friends Jill Bryson, Lawrence from Felt and Primal Scream to what became a more extreme, deep sound informed by neo-folk and post industrial music.
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
-
Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
-
Audioengine A2 Plus
Precision-engineered 2.75-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, featuring built-in DAC and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration.
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Supertramp Crime Of The Century (Half-Speed)
A&M
August 29, 2025 -
Georgia Harmer Eye Of The Storm (Gold)
Arts Crafts
August 29, 2025 -
Sophie PRODUCT
Numbers
August 8, 2025 -
The Shame Cutthroat
Dead Oceans
September 5, 2025 -
Dizzy Reed Rock 'N' Roll Chose Me
50Q Records
August 22, 2025 -
Minami Kitasono Meridian
Jet Set
August 15, 2025 -
Preston Cooper Toledo Talkin' (Graphite)
The Valory Music Co.
August 29, 2025 -
Jasss Eager Buyers
Awos
September 19, 2025 -
Demonstealer The Propaganda Machine (Tourqouse)
Black Lion Records
August 15, 2025 -
John McLaughlin Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2022 [2xLP]
Earmusic
August 8, 2025 -
Rocket R Is for Rocket
Transgressive
October 3, 2025 -
Greg Freeman Burnover
Transgressive
August 22, 2025 -
Burning Witches Inquisition
Napalm Records
August 22, 2025 -
Jordan Davis Learn The Hard Way [2xLP]
Mca Nashville
August 15, 2025