Valérie Lemercier - Chante (1996)

On Chante, Valerie Lemercier debuted her French, bossa nova style of pop to an American audience. Released in 1997 on then-Chicago label March Records (since relocated to New York), the album's ten songs invigorated the label and the singer's career. The disc begins with the bright sounds of "Quand Je l'Ai Vu," mixed with Lemercier's composed vocal stylings. The poppy jazz of "Goute Mes Frites" is followed by the Club 8-ish "Dormir Dans Ton Lit." The playful synthesizer on "Bungalow" adds a dose of musical experimentation to the mix. Songs like "Mon Oreille Pleure" and "Paris Secret" sound straight out of a Henry Mancini film score, had he scored French film soundtracks. Richie Thomas adds bongos on some of the tracks, while Louis Philippe performs on guitar on "Goute Mes Frites" and Christian Lechevretel adds trumpet and trombone throughout. A wealth of sounds were performed by the album's producer, Bertrand Burgalat, who performs on bass and electric guitar in addition to a variety of other instruments. Eleanor Gilchrist adds violin, while Abigail Trundle provides cello accompaniment. The majestic music throughout the disc creates a sublime and tender atmosphere and an enjoyable pop album, even for those who aren't fluent in French.~Stephen Cramer