Tango is big in Finland. It has been since the country first heard the style and fell in love with it. It's so big, in fact, that the Finns have developed their own style of tango, as demonstrated by
the Tango-Orkesteri Unto (named in honor of a famous Finnish tango musician). On their second volume of tango songs, they show that a small group -- five pieces in total -- can create a very big and highly sophisticated noise. Singer Pirjo Aittomäki is a laid-back standout, with a voice as soft as velvet, and everyone else in the ensemble is just as good. There's plenty to delight any tango lover, like the glittering instrumental work of "Rannalla," for example, or the care that went into the arrangements throughout. It'll make a convert of anyone who likes the genre, and this is a band at the very top of its game. ~ Chris Nickson