Le Sac des Filles - Camille

I heard a sample from French singer Camille's latest album Le Fils and was immediately intrigued. The album is getting enough attention that the CD has been released in the US with comparisons to other avant-pop performers such as Bjork.

I tracked down a copy of her French debut, Le Sac des Filles, through an online reseller, and it's a very satisfying listen. Unlike the experimentalism of her new album, Le Sac des Filles is a walking tour of French pop music that feels both traditional and modern. Lighter and less artificial than any of Pizzicato Five's attempts to recreate this kind of music, Camille's production is clever yet perfectly organic, using traditional instruments and sampling to build the sensation of moving through Paris streets in different seasons and eras. At times the effect is gimicky, such as the artifical grammaphone effect in "Ruby", the relentless wordplay of "Les ex", or the crashing dishes that punctuate the collapse of the title track.

But mostly it is Camille's versatile voice that sells the best tracks here. She is childlike and playful on the opener, "1 2 3", but regoups into full caberet mode on "Paris". "Mon petit vieux" is a pleasant song accompanied only by guitar and piano. "Un homme déserté" sounds like an excerpt from a melancholy romance film. Camille whispers and growls through "Je ne suis pas ta chose", a defiant pop masterpiece.

All the songs on this album have the wonderful characteristic of sounding new and original yet sounding immediately familiar. Whether or not the challenging sonic landcapes of Le Fil catch on in the US, Le Sac de Filles is worth tracking down. It's a rewarding listen and nicely fills the French pop niche your music collection was lacking.