Pepe Deluxé

Every aspect of "Salami Fever,” the first single off Beatitude, indicates that Pepe Deluxé is a band steeped in solemnity. The grave title alone portents the video’s rich imagery in which two men wearing loincloths of bacon rashers chase each other around an apartment with links of sausage. Particularly effective when coupled with the vocodered lyric, "Eager like a beaver/I’m giving you salami fever.” Dark, sombre stuff. Actually, the first time I heard the song I was drunk. And I laughed my ass off. It’s a shame then, that PD occasionally divagate from this goofy, big-beat approach, ruining a perfect late-night party disc with moments of false sincerity. But the silly bits — including the nonsensical liner notes — truly are fun.