One of my favourite bands, Pink Martini, just released their second album. Hang on Little Tomato comes seven years after their fantastic debut album Sympathique, neatly extending their cool lounge style beyond the standards to new material they've written themselves.

I cringe to call the music "lounge", since that implies a sort of faux-clever cynical hipster sound. Nothing against the US Esquivel set, but part of what's lovely about Pink Martini is they play their music with sincerity, and are enjoyed straight ahead, without irony. They're calling themselves a little orchestra, that seems about right. They're also first class musicians playing a lovely style of music that's mostly abandoned.

But listen for yourself. Click the Pink Martini radio link on this page. On Sympathique I recommend "Amado Mio" or "Andalucia" for a quick flavour.

culturemusic
  2004-12-12 19:16 Z