Subtitled "La Musique Lounge Moderne Deux," White Martini picks up where 2002"s left off, serving both as a nicely selected program of contemporary lounge music and downtempo electronica and as an advertisement for Players brand flavored vodka (a recipe for the titular cocktail is included in the liner notes, as is a full-page ad for the booze). Sure, it"s maybe a bit crass, but this is lounge music, folks -- a certain degree of crassness is part of its charm. By the time you"re halfway through "Riviera Rendezvous," the Ursula 1000 track that opens this album, you"ll no doubt be hunting through the closet for your pipe and smoking jacket, and setting up highballs for your guests. Not everything here partakes so explicitly of the esprit de lounge, however; Praful"s "Sigh" is straight-up house music with a sighing hint of strings and a smooth saxophone; "Naturally," by Slow Train Soul, is laid-back acid jazz, as is Puddu Varano"s gorgeous "Hide Your Ways"; Rafe Gomez contributes a funky and faintly Latin-flavored little number called "Icy." Everything is nicely chilled and goes down smooth. ~ Rick Anderson, Rovi