Death By Chocolate

Fuck the new Austin Powers soundtrack! Whatever, whoever is on it, however the Goldmember OST sounds, just fuck it all, cause this is the real deal: a mod-obsessed, quirky sonic collage of fancifully fun pop, groovy keyboard-laced psychedelia, and beatnik-influenced spoken word, all inspired by obscure '60s espionage and spy films. Who the hell needs Beyonce and Britney (the two most recent "Powers" girls) when you have Death By Chocolate's bizarre Angie Tillet to rattle of charmingly cockneyed and monotone monologues about her favourite item of clothing (a "lime green fitted blouse with rounded collar and puce cuffs"), the unfortunate melting of her "iced lolly," her lengthy shopping list (which includes gin, rubber gloves, crisps and pudding?), and the wonders of the Vox "wah wah" pedal. This bric-a-brac's extreme level of preoccupation with all things mini-skirted, Vespa-scootered, swinging and Quadrophenic in Zap the World (D.B.C.'s second outing) leans a bit towards the "frightening" end of the scale, yet after a few listens your mouth will be agape when you realise how much skill (not to mention guts) it takes to maintain balance while teetering on such a thin line between silly, non-cerebral and campy nostalgia on one side and clever, subversive satire on the other. Tillet, et al.'s project isn't completely either of these, though it maintains elements of both, all while being absolutely fabulous, sweetie dahhling. Yeah baby, yeah!