If you thought sardonic singer/songwriters like Warren Zevon and Randy Newman have left the arena, here’s a guy that might raise an eyebrow. Jim Pembroke plays piano and keyboards whil he leads a team of Pedro Hietanen/B3-key, Jukka Orma/g, Ulf Krokfors/b and Mika Kallio/dr through a collection of clever tunes and themes. At times sincere, as in “If The Rain Comes” and other times with an askance tongue in cheek as on “Columbus In India,” Pembroke uses his alluring melodies as paths to his thoughts and musings. Even a whimsical celebration of humanity as on “The DNA Club” works well, while “The Birds of Summer” is a reflective muse. Clever, without sounding self-serving.
TUM Records