Pink Martini
Sympathique

"Alternative" is an interesting and extremely malleable adjective: everyone has their own vision of what it represents (and doesn't represent), but in the musical field, it is often used more for purely cosmetic reasons and commercial targeting than for actual relevance. As far as I'm concerned, I recognize the existence of an "alternative" musical genre as much as China recognizes the independence of Taiwan. However, I believe that in some cases this label is quite fitting. My concept of alternativity has much to do with the basic idea that animates an artist/musical project and very little with the sound in a strict sense; just to give an example, Army Of Lovers were/are alternative to me, as are Pink Martini, a bizarre "little orchestra" that, with its precious work of recovering sounds and melodies from various musical cultures, no particular recording support, and a good dose of luck, managed to establish itself as a small musical "cult," especially in French-speaking Europe more than in their native USA.

There are a few things about Pink Martini, and in particular about this debut, "Sympathique," that may seem misleading. First of all, the very raison d'être of this project, which from a superficial point of view might seem nothing more than the pastime of two rich former Harvard students, the pianist and main composer Thomas Lauderdale and female vocalist China Forbes, and then the graphic design of this album, which is catchy but ultimately very little representative of the content as a whole. Point one: whatever the background of its creators, PM is an interesting, original project driven by great and sincere passion as well as solid cultural foundations, and this is more than enough. Regarding the second observation, there is a certain cleverness on the part of Lauderdale & Co: Eiffel Tower on the cover + title track = guaranteed success in a market certainly very favorable to their musical proposal, but apart from this, "Sympathique" has very little else that is Francophone; what takes the lion's share are Latin-Hispanic atmospheres, with Broadway, Greek, Japanese, and Brazilian inserts. Unlike the band's subsequent production (note the final a), this debut is practically an album of covers, apart from the famous title track, the only other original is "Lullaby" which reprises the melody, little more than a lovely outro, but "Sympathique" truly deserves a special mention because, in my opinion, it's a truly sensational piece. The perfect song as background for a lazy Sunday afternoon, an unforgettable little tune that sets a new standard for frivolous and adorable charm and allows the appreciation of the vocal talent and interpretative class of the excellent China Forbes, a pure and simple "feel-good song," splendidly naïve, as they almost don't exist anymore today.

In this debut, Pink Martini almost seem to want to "test the waters" and verify their potential; they limit themselves to relatively simple things, not only because of the presence of only one (albeit memorable) episode of their own production but also by offering various reinterpretations of great classics, such as a perfect "Amado Mio" at the opening, passionate and of sure impact, the iconic samba of "Brazil", splendidly presented in a particularly rich, curated, and suggestive form, and an interesting dilated and rarefied reinterpretation of "Que Sera Sera", dreamy, pensive, almost melancholic. All beautiful readings, but Pink Martini shine especially in the marvelous "Never On Sunday"/"Ta Paidia Tou Piraia", also very slowed down and highlighted in its most indolent and sensual aspect, a perfect sirtaki/bossanova combination that elevates this great standard to a more modern dimension and demonstrates the impeccable sensitivity and good melodic taste of Thomas Lauderdale and the crystalline class of China Forbes. In this joyful potpourri of heterogeneous and multicultural sounds and atmospheres, there are also a couple of instrumentals, the six minutes of Latin-jazzy elegance of "No Hay Problema" and the suggestive Caribbean nocturne of "Andalucia" by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, which well represents the more exotic soul of "Sympathique" together with "Donde Estas Yolanda?", a rhythmic and pleasant Puerto Rican classic interpreted by Pepe Raphael, the male voice of Pink Martini, as well as "La Soledad", a reinterpretation of a Chopin melody, a crooner performance of great sweetness, melancholy, and theatrical impact. The most hidden gem of "Sympathique" remains "Song Of The Black Lizard", from the soundtrack of a semi-unknown Japanese film of the '60s: noir atmosphere, fascinating and very elegant, almost surreal, perfect intertwining of piano and brass, and a grand finale with another great performance by China Forbes.

"Sympathique" is a succession of elegant but very colorful atmospheres and sensations, multiethnic, joyful, and vital, but it is certainly not a perfect album, too heterogeneous to form a single and coherent discourse, and in addition, it is only the first, relatively cautious step of a beautiful artistic journey, to which one cannot deny an undeniable originality and which I consider to be truly noble and worthy of praise even just for the intentions (a unique and rare case). Rediscovering and making known to more people melodies distant in time or belonging to specific geographical areas means doing culture in a broad sense, doing it by offering beautiful songs, arranged with great taste and played by talented musicians (in this album, the brass sections and percussion stand out in particular, especially in Caribbean episodes) is truly an epic win operation, to use youth language.