Lorie

Près de Toi (Sony, France)
by Michael McCarthy

France’s Lorie is being called “the Britney Spears of France” by many of her fans, but her debut album, Près de Toi (Sony, France), is more like, well, Debbie Gibson or Tiffany. Even if you detest Britney, you must admit that she has always been surrounded by talented enough writers and producers (like Max Martin or, more recently, BT, Dido, and The Neptunes). The production and songwriting on Près de Toi lacks such talent, however, and is boring and all-too-formulaic. The result is a perfect example of what happens when the machine that is the record industry churns out an unartistic, repulsive product that makes those of us who can smell that shit coming a mile away want to puke.
[www.lorieonline.net]