Carol Martini's THE FINE ART OF SINGING WHILE DROWNING

Carol Martini, who's long played the Los Angeles and Orange County singer-songwriter scenes, has released an ambitious 23-track CD The Fine Art of Singing While Drowning, her first recording since Songs of the Girl on the Swing (2016). Here she's the singer, songwriter, and co-producer, while co-producer Daniel Martin provides all the musical accompaniment. A third co-producer, Keith Taylor, provides vocal harmonies.

Martini's style has long ranged from poignant love songs to playful humor to autobiography. Here she provides some examples of just about everything she can do. Even though each song is good, having so much offered at one time may limit the ability of this CD to find its audience. The arrangements, too, don't have the kind of punch that's needed to stand out from all the other music that's available online now.

Of the more playful offerings here, one stand-out is "Pirate Chick," the latest in Martini's series of "Chick" songs about bold adventurous women. Another of her more humorous works is "Hit Man," a whole song that plays on the words in reference to music and that other kind of hit. It's like the story of a comic-book villain in musical form. Some of Martini's love songs are humorous, too--laugh along with "I'm a Little Obsessed" sometime.

For Martini's more poignant side, try "There's a Suitcase Packed" about that moment when the last thread(s) of a relationship are about to snap. Some of her songs are on You Tube--the romantic and poignant "You Made Good-bye an Art" is one. "Hit Man" is another.

Perhaps next we'll see Martini make an album where all her songs match a certain mood--either romantic, or humorous, or jazzy. To explore Martini's musical wares, search for her on You Tube, Amazon, and/or Facebook.