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.
Release date:
April 15, 2022
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
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.
-
Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers
Combining classic design with modern Bluetooth connectivity, built-in amplification and versatile inputs, these speakers deliver rich, balanced sound.
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Water From Your Eyes It's A Beautiful Place
Matador
August 22, 2025 -
Billie Marten Dog Eared
Fiction Records
July 18, 2025 -
Whiskey Myers Whomp Whack Thunder [2xLP]
Wiggy Thump Records
September 26, 2025 -
Russell Dickerson FAMOUS BACK HOME (Amazon Exclusive)
Triple Tigers/Kimberly Perry LP1
August 22, 2025 -
Trisha Yearwood The Mirror
Gwendolyn Records
July 18, 2025 -
Lucrecia Dalt A Danger to Ourselves
Rvng Int'l
September 5, 2025 -
Rocket R Is for Rocket (Opaque Red)
Transgressive
October 3, 2025 -
Metronomy Greatest Hits [2xLP]
Because Music
September 5, 2025 -
Nick Leon A Tropical Entropy
Tra Tra Trax
July 25, 2025 -
Good Charlotte Motel Du Cap (Amazon Exclusive)
Atlantic
August 8, 2025 -
Ed Sheeran Play (Amazon Exclusive; Purple)
Atlantic
September 12, 2025 -
Between The Buried And Me The Blue Nowhere [2xLP]
Inside Out Music
September 12, 2025 -
Hebi Katana Imperfection
Ripple Music
July 25, 2025 -
Black Honey Soak
Black Honey
August 15, 2025