Programmer Martin Virgo, and chanteuse Siobhan deMare, dominate this cocktail and black tie offering that grounds itself in the atmospheric and then shoots off subtle tangents to other genres. Like a way-cool John Barry score, the trippy, hypnotic melodies worm their way into your head, and just when you have succumbed to the hypnosis, the sonic acupuncture takes its effect.

The pulsating piano of the opening track, "Life In Mono," carries the
scratch/sample rhythm until Siobhan's breathy vocal slides across your ears like a silk handkerchief. If you thought "The Cardigans" held the patent for frail high notes, wait until you hear this one! If you close your eyes, one can imagine the closing credits of some 60's espionage movie rolling by...very cool, very seductive.

Even though I'm not a historian of the genre, I'm hip enough to absorb the tips to classic girl pop and the Burt Bacharach and Phil Spector nods.
"Slimcea Girl" tosses in Burt's signature tiny trumpet garnishes along with Spector's trademark vocal washes and tubular bells. Picture Dusty Springfield singing "Walk On By," but in a very different setting! "High Life," in a similar vein, recalls Pet Clark singing "Downtown" (check the chorus!). Everything old is new again.

The pauses between songs get longer as the record goes on (to cleanse your palette, perhaps?), but eventually the dipsy doodle blips and beeps start to wear thin with me. I do like this record, but in small doses. However, if your tolerance is better than mine, or if ambient pop is your thing, add a star to this rating and sail away, martini firmly in hand.