Isobel Campbell - Amorino (2003)

Isobel Campbell, former cellist and vocalist with Belle and Sebastian and the main force behind the Gentle Waves, turns in a laidback debut under her own name. A pleasantly jazzy, sophisticated companion piece to her tribute to Billie Holiday released in 2002, Amorino sounds like a lost soundtrack to some cool French film from the 1960s. Theres quite a lot of variation, and the arrangements are subtle throughout. "Monologue for an Old True Love," for one, melds Morricone horns and strings to a Spector-ish drum sound, swinging Wes Montgomery-ish guitar lines and a chorus that quietly explodes into girl group harmony. Elsewhere, elements are reminiscent of Joao Gilberto, Marine Girls, Nick Drake, Lee Hazlewood, and Smokey and Miho. Theres even some straight-ahead Dixieland jazz on "The Cats Pyjamas." Her voice may barely rise above a whisper on every track, but Amorino is unabashedly unironic, delicately joyous, and the perfect prelude to a nap some lazy Sunday afternoon. -- Mike McGonigal