China Forbes

China Forbes
78 2008 Heinz Records

It is a very sad thing when such talent and originality falls short and gives in to something utterly bland. As the primary vocalist for the Portland-Based Pink Martini, she helps blend seamlessly lounge, world and Latin music with soft and sultry, yet completely commanding vocals. She can dance effortlessly between languages, delivering Spanish Portuguese, Russian, Italian and many others as though she were native and last year's Hey Eugene! was the pinnacle of Pink Martini's achievements thus far.
And so we come to 78, the much anticipated solo album from China Forbes and to label it as unremarkable would be an understatement. Gone is the confident and wonderfully layered voice, replaced sadly by flat and almost lethargic melodies that would be better fit to be found on a flavor of the week album rushed into production without care. Perhaps that was the point; to abandon the bombastic camp and furor that was Pink Martini and embark on a simpler road. Perhaps that was the intention, but what we get is a mere bore and even a rendition of the Pink Martini track "Hey Eugene," a previously quirky dance groove becomes something wholly lifeless.
The production is halfhearted, the songs are indistinguishable and lifeless with the same pace and same mood over and over and one begins to realize as the album progresses that Pink Martini as a collective is the true majesty and that the individual pieces, while vastly important, rely on each other to lift themselves up.