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Amazon.com's Best of 1999This entirely original and strange record ultimately seduces with a quirky grace. Where does one begin to describe what's contained within Chrominance Decoder? A melange of '60s girl pop, Yé Yé, garage rock, Beach Boys harmonies, Gainsbourgian crooning, spy-movie soundtracks, cheezy jazz, Japanese "idoru
Amazon.com's Best of 1999
This entirely original and strange record ultimately seduces with a quirky grace. Where does one begin to describe what's contained within Chrominance Decoder? A melange of '60s girl pop, Yé Yé, garage rock, Beach Boys harmonies, Gainsbourgian crooning, spy-movie soundtracks, cheezy jazz, Japanese "idoru" preening, trip-hop grooves, Lolitaesque come-ons, loungy dithers, and cartoon ditties--the genius behind this delicious concoction is Elinor ("April March isn't my Christian name," she coos), a California girl by way of New England who sings in both French and English with unconscious ease. Wow. --Tod Nelson
Using faux French '60s lounge pop as the starting point for her sonic discourse, Elinor Blake, a.k.a. April March, displays plenty of musical savvy and the rare ability to come up with a good hook. As April March, she uses her kittenish voice in the style of Parisian chanteuses like Françoise Hardy. French producer Bertrand Burgalat lends a spare, sophisticated musicality to the record, arranging delicate layers of electronics and horns around March's slick studio ensemble. With heady instrumental interludes, fragile acoustic ballads, and Stereolab-style rock flourishes, March seems to be a substantial musical enterprise as well as an interesting alter ego for the talented Blake. A warning, though: she sings pure pop in French, and the whole vibe here is extremely precious. --Mitch Myers
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