Pizzicato Five

THE FIFTH RELEASE

(Matador)

A lot of contemporary bands have referred to the orchestral pop of the '60s and '70s, but Pizzicato 5 remain one of the genre's best. The Fifth Release finds them in top form, artfully recasting the retro sounds of spy-movie soundtracks and lounge muzak. But this time out, bandleader Yasuharu Konishi goes on a global shopping spree to build his sonic backdrops, conjuring everything from a smoky Greenwich Village jazz club to an Indian ashram, from a Mississippi juke joint to the Abbey Road studio. Nomiya Maki's playful voice remains at the center of these delightful dance hits, but Konishi's aural embellishments -- his harps, sitars, twanging guitars, and trumpet arrangements -- are as crucial to his tunes as costumes are to a period picture. The lovely piano line in "Wild Strawberries" supports a melody that gently recalls Minnie Ripperton's octave-busting '70s hit "Loving You"; "Darlin' of the Discotheque" is spiced with wonderfully cheesy Eastern accents that give it the flavor of authentic '60s British psychedelia. DJs and bands like Kid Loco and Dusty Trails have gone on similar time-traveling journeys, but Pizzicato 5's sense of humor and style has kept them in a league of their own.

-- Lois Maffeo