Yet another collection of "obscure, lovely and naughty songs," 2004's Living in Sin is probably Klein's strongest effort since her near-solo debut Come Into My Parlor. Klein's second album, Paradise Wobble, was a trifle awkward in the way it incorporated her new backing band, the Parlor Boys, and its follow-up, Put a Flavor to Love, was perhaps a shade below her earlier albums in terms of material. (Klein writes none of her own songs, choosing her repertoire from vintage songbooks and sheet music of the early 20th century.) Living in Sin, however, rebounds with a wonderfully idiosyncratic range of songs including a sly version of the rude old standard "Ballin' the Jack" to the utterly strange (but weirdly appropriate in the age of SARS and avian flu) novelty tune "Some Little Bug Is Going to Find You (The Germ Song)." Klein's vocals and ukulele remain front and center, but her band's varied and period-appropriate arrangements suit her unique sound perfectly.
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