REVIEW: Combustible Edison, The Impossible World (Sub Pop)
- Christina Apeles
A space age, eerie feel to this release. Atmospheric sounds that place you in another world, or better yet -- out of your own. Almost spooky, with vocals taunting you along with fleshy bass, tinging bells and keen beats to rouse the body. There is no empty, wasted space on this release. Vibrations and combinations of sounds that are so damn clever, it makes you wonder, 'How in the hell did they think of that?' Walking through unknown territory of rhythms that soothe. Termed 'vibrant hypnotica', it is Easy Listening on acid. Music, with the lounge feel lying just beneath the surface, that evolves into pure artistry.
C.E. teases with their first track "Utopia" opening with a twenty-five second delay; I had to check my CD player to make sure it was working, but once the song started, I was instantly charmed. Dreamlike chord progressions coupled with the voice of Miss Lily Banquet and background vocals reminiscient of gooey love songs from the fifties, drew me into a dream state. Meanwhile, "Pink Victim" is a song you'd expect to be in a sex scene of a James Bond film, which is why magazines like Esquire have called their music 'spy jazz.' Their sound is truly evocative. It's all about setting the moods and C.E. are definitely masters of that craft. "20th Century" is carnivalesque at its best with the quirky feel of being underneath the tent, watching the clowns running amok in the progression of animals and performers. "Cat O'Nine Tails" is pure lounge grooves, though unoriginal, the familiarity of the song is comforting, with the beats just where you’d expect them to be -- just where your dancing feet want to go.
I've done the exotica clubs and lounge bars, but I've never really taken to the music. I always felt it was the corporeal atmosphere that made the music work in this age, but with a listen to The Impossible World, I see how Combustible Edison creates its own tangible atmosphere for the listener without being surrounded by the velvet furniture, dark lighting, chic people and cocktails, though all of the above are always nice fixtures to have around. No wonder the band has such a following and now I've fallen for their sound as well. Around since 1992, Combustible Edison was among a few during the early nineties where grunge ruled the airwaves and packed the clubs, but C.E. plunged into a different world, only to emerge into the later half of the decade with a sound that is still hypnotic, genius -- this is music as an art form. The band has been featured in a ton of publications ranging from The Utne Reader to Newsweek to Esquire, plus appearances on Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and Regis and Kathy Lee, proving their appeal is diverse and their acclaim is well-deserved. After success with their 1994 debut, I, Swinger, followed by Schizophonic! in 1996, The Impossible World completes the trilogy, with thirteen brilliantly composed tunes. They've taken easy listening out of the realm of the elevator-confined space to create a new brand of Leisure music that is a bizarre mix of the carnivalesque, electronic, ambient, pop, and lounge -- a cocktail worth drinking.
