"Hey Eugene"!

Pink Martini's third album, "Hey Eugene," is arriving in May. It's just one of the slew of new albums from popular musicians, singers, and bands coming out that month. Among others, there are Maroon 5 ("It Won't Be Soon Before Long"), Tori Amos ("American Doll Posse"), Erasure ("Light at the End of the World"), Michael Buble ("Call Me Irresponsible"), and Rufus Wainwright ("Release the Stars") - he's not so popular or widely known but he ought to be! I suppose May's the time for new music since school's out and summer beckons, the season for long road trips or lemonade afternoons at the park (prime music-listening occasions).

On a personal note, in May, three close friends celebrate their birthdays, and another will depart for a year-long adventure. Much celebration, anticipation, and farewells. I can't decide if I'm going to love or lament the coming of May.

After sampling tracks from Pink Martini's new offering, I'm pretty sure it's going on the shopping list the next time I visit the music store. They haven't changed their recipe much, but it's that tried-and-tested-and-loved recipe their fans adore and want a lot of anyway - distinct flavors from across the globe, capable switching between gentle and vigorous vocal stirrings. More importantly, given the long production period between the first two albums, it's a thrill that the third one's coming out this soon.