Impossible World
You have to hand it to Combustible Edison. Obviously aware that the zoot suit and martini fad is winding its way down, the Rhode Island-based five-piece has slightly revamped its sound. Could it be...electronica? Not quite. The carbons of cocktail cacophony have subsided, and their old sound is now a departure point for headier potions that incorporate--you got it--keyboards and samples, but this hardly sounds like Madonna'sRay of Light. Tracks like "Utopia" and the pulsating "Laura's Aura" benefit from the electronic tweaking of producers John Holbrook and Scanner; their subtle new-meets-old approach glides in under Miss Lily Banquette's vocals and keeps the mix buoyant. On other tracks, such as "Mr. Pushkin Came to Shove," CE take a straight-jazz tack to impressively solid results.The Impossible Worldis proof that Combustible Edison have slipped free of the novelty noose and made strides toward new possibilities in old sounds.--Jason Josephes