Shaken, not stirred. Cigars...cigarettes...cigars...cigarettes, witty chat beneath subtle lighting among overly underdressed hipster clientele, and "Combustible Edison" supplies the soundtrack. A kind of Science-Fiction-Baroque entity existing, if for no other reason, than to tweak the realm of the easy-listening lounge dwellers. At the same time, familiar yet intangible, CE's "the impossible world" plays out like a soundtrack to some 60's movie (in glorious Technicolor).

A contemporary lounge if you will. The tangible aspects of this release tend to take some kind of vaguely recognizable style, then get it high and send it off swirling in some musical direction. One can hear hints of cabana-boy bounce, some hip subtle swing, generic lounge, smoky piano bar, some sci-fi movie, a gay cowboy western, a mall somewhere in China, etc., are mostly done with a sort of loose jazzy structure, especially the drums and the general song movements.

The orchestration is fairly minimal, with songs usually consisting of some drums, some keys, a plicky-plucky guitar, and sometimes some swoozy, girlie vocals. Unlike most groups with a female vocalist, Miss Lillith Banquette is not pushed way up front. In fact, only about half the songs have any vocals, and many of the "vocals" consist of sweetly whispered "Do-wee-oohs" and such. This is probably a good thing, since her presence is not very gripping (nor, I believe, is it meant to be). The singing is competent to say the least, but in a world where so many powerful female artists have shown what the female voice can illicit in the right setting, Miss Banquette is more or less just another texture among many employed by "Combustible Edison." The mood is usually fairly organic, but as the disk plays on, CE shift to more sterile sounds and even go for the electric drums completely on one of the last songs.

To offer a valid comparison of the "Combustible Edison" experience, one needs to be familiar with the easy listening music of the 50's and 60's. The most recognizable may be Martin Denny or Henry Mancini, with CE falling more toward the former.

At its hippest, "Combustible Edison" is great moody background music for quite intimate dining, drinking and debauchery. At it's tackiest, CE comes off sounding like theme music for an Addams Family episode.