Emilie Simon

(Barclay, France)
by Michael McCarthy

The self-titled debut by France’s Emilie Simon (Barclay, France) is an electronic pop masterpiece sure to please fans of Ysa Ferrer, Silja, and Elfy. That she produced and programmed it – on top of writing most of the songs herself – makes her all the more impressive. Listening to this disc is like having a pretty girl whisper in your ear for an hour, her voice is so sultry and soothing. For proof of her brilliance, you need only hear her cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by Iggy and The Stooges. (Imagine if Björk covered “Lust For Life”…) It’s so unexpected and unusual, yet… nothing short of delightful. She’s quite a visionary. She should tour – and, even better – duet with Raphael, because there’s a beauty in these discs that I just don’t hear in most music these days. It’s pleasing to note that French pop has taken a turn away from paint-by-numbers cheese, and apparently plunged into the realm of seductive art. Something like that anyway…
(www.emiliesimon.com)