Bow Down to the Exit Sign

Although David Holmes's Bow Down to the Exit Sign is intended to be the soundtrack of an as-yet-to-be-made film, the closest stylistic cousin in the Holmes canon is not the work he did for the film Out of Sight, nor is it his sweepingly cinematic debut or the New York City-on-acid travelogue that was his big commercial breakthrough. The most seemingly obvious predecessor is actually the U.K. release Essential Mix 98/01. The spirit of Holmes's super-eclectic DJ work (a world in which Brigitte Bardot, Plaid, Rare Earth, and Skylab all happily cohabitate) is here again on his latest outing, along with the additional element of more than a few outstanding vocal performances. Bobby Gillespie lends his hip sneer to the punky-fuzzy "Sick City" and "Slip Your Skin." Jon Spencer unleashes his afflicted-soul howl over the furiously fuming organ of "Bad Things." Tricky cohort Martina Topley-Bird is radiant amid the claustrophobic pulse of "Outrun," and Carl Hancock-Rux is nothing less than rock god-legendary, especially on the stunningly funky "Living Room." Holmes of course offers up a few instrumental treats as well, most notably "Hey Lisa," which is quietly pretty, and "69 Police," which immediately catapults itself into the realm of bouncy-fun classics such as Primal Scream's Loaded. --Bob Michaels