Less “they don’t make them like they used to” and more “you can’t make them like they used to,” April Ames’ 1957 album “Strike a Match” pays homage to the modernly maligned cigarette. With unabashedly celebratory tracks such as “Two Cigarettes in the Dark” and the more punny “I’m Beginning to See the Light,” you’d imagine the record to be a novelty, a fast product for some hopefully quick sales, but you’d be dismissing what’s actually a worthy audio experience.

Ames’ voice and her musicians capture a quintessential 1950s sound in a classic 12 tracks for the most part in the classic 2-3 minute range. Her clear, gentle voice urges a lover to “stop pretending, I know you care” in the playful ‘Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire” but it’s hard to not raise an eyebrow at “puff, puff, puff your cares away; puff, puff, puff night and day” from ‘Smoke Rings.’

The musicianship of the Hal Hidey Ensemble can’t be faulted, and the album has been expertly mastered for digital and sounds just like it should. Give the album a whirl on Spotify, above, but you should be able to find it everywhere including iTunes and Apple Music.