Under Review: Pink Martini – Splendor In The Grass

Some bands are so eclectic that each song on an LP sounds like a different set of performers altogether.  While they explore the many global permutations of the jazzy-lounge genre, Pink Martini’s own identity is never lost.  Because they make music like no one else has in the past forty or so years, it’s easy to overlook any lack of musical depth when presented with a charming set of songs such as their new release, Splendor In The Grass.  By no means do I wish to convey that I feel anything less than admiration and love for this album; however, several of the original songs on Splendor, unlike the originals on Hang On Little Tomato, feel very obviously original.  Still, the “little orchestra’s” worldly sound makes up for any lyrical shallowness.  Opening with the Neopolitan lullaby, “Ninna Nanna,” China Forbes leads a soft chorus in the playful yet endearing refrain.  Like on previous releases, it’s Forbes multi-multilingual performance that shines.  The French original “Où Est Ma Tête?” and the Italian sophisti-pop gem “Tuca Tuca” provide a classy overview of Pink Martini’s international pizzazz.  At Splendor’s center is an odd pair of companion songs: “And Then You’re Gone,” a fiery, mambo lament by Forbes, is followed by “Now I’m Back,” which features vocals from NPR justice correspondent Ari Shapiro atop a Krupa-eqsue big band strut.  As much as I balked at some of the original songs’ lyrics (the title track, which apparently features guitar work from Courtney Taylor-Taylor, is particularly generic), the elegant ballad “Over The Valley,” written by Forbes and bandleader Alex Lauderdale, is one of the finest songs in the Pink Martini catalogue.  Much like “Let’s Never Stop Falling In Love,” “Over The Valley” sounds like a lost torch tune from the Tin Pan Alley songbook.  To further this mission of creating timeless, universal music, a cover of the Sesame Street favorite “Sing” is included, complete with vocals from Emilio “Luis” Delgado.  The dichotomy of haunting and mischievous, of childish and heartbroken is part of what makes every Pink Martini album, Splendor In The Grass included, a thrill to listen to again and again.

~ by E. on October 28, 2009.