On an album that includes a cover of Henry Mancini’s seminal ‘A Shot in the Dark’, and Frank Sinatra’s ‘Is That All There is,’ this track ‘Breakfast at Denny’s’ is one of our favourites. We consider it a grimier, low rent ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s – which of course was Mancini again. Anyway with its ringing bells and vocal choir, vibraphone, and moments of compelling drama it feels like high stakes exotica. There’s so much going on.
It’s the work of Combustible Edison, an ensemble that formed in Providence, Rhode Island in the early 1990’s and eventually signed to Sub Pop on the back of these demos. Not that they sound like demos. They even scored Tarantino’s Four Rooms. What we like about their approach is the lack of cheese. They seem to approach this style with a sincerity, and a real reverence to the likes of Mancini, Arthur Lyman, Martin Denny and Esquivel. As it should be. Apparently they helped usher in a lounge revival in the 90’s. Apparently this revival was brief.
Forbidden Isle Of Demos is out now via MODERN HARMONIC. You can find it here.
