It would be easy to liken
Pink Martini
's music to the
lounge
and
swing
revivals of the '90s. However, the 12-piece mini-orchestra's mix of
jazz
,
classical
Latin
, and
vocal pop
sounds more organic than the work of, say,
Combustible Edison
. Like
the Squirrel Nut Zippers
-- who were always more than just a straightforward
swing revival
band --
do more than just rehash their influences; by dabbling in different sounds that they love, they've come up with their own. And even on the most theatrical moments of their second album,
Hang On Little Tomato
, such as the
Yma Sumac
-meets-
chamber jazz
of
"U Plavu Zoru"
or the smoky Italian ambience of
"Una Notte a Napoli,"
a lot of genuine sentiment shines through. Though most of
-- named after a vintage Hunt's Ketchup ad -- consists of originals, a few well-chosen covers stake out
's sonic territory: the festive
"Anna (El Negro Zumbon)"
;
Villa-Lobos
'
"Song of the Black Swan"
; a downright swellegant version of
"Let's Never Stop Falling in Love"
; and
"Kikuchiyo to Moshimasu,"
which features
Hiroshi Wada
, the slide guitarist who played on the original recording of the song. Amid all the multiculturalism,
emphasizes the French and Cuban elements of
's sound, with
"Dansez-Vous"
and the lovely
"Autrefois"
nodding to the former, and the ever-so-slightly mischievous
ballad
"Lilly"
tipping its hat to the latter. The album's moods are almost as wide-ranging as its sounds, spanning the innocence of the title track's '30s
pop
and the
Bacharach-esque
sweetness of
"Clementine"
to the world-weary
"Veronique"
to the smoky romance of
"Aspettami."
A more full-fledged album than the band's debut
Sympathique
offers a charmingly populist approach to music. ~ Heather Phares