Kahimi Karie

2002 finds Kahimi Karie offering up My Suitor, her fourth proper LP. America's infatuation with techno was slipping, but fans of her precious coo won't be disappointed to find her naïve demeanor still intact, along with all of the coy ingénue subtext.

Since Karie's songs all tend to linger in the same realm, it's a situation where listeners will either love or hate her based on one song. A Japanese chanteuse with a sweet baby voice and a penchant for singing in breathy English and sultry French, Karie occupies a unique niche in the world of techno-pop. Equal parts Serge Gainsbourg-flavored '60s yeh-yeh pop, Shibuya-Kei, and mid-'90s techno-lite, Karie's collaborations with Momus and Cornelius lent her a degree of credibility (and visibility) that she wouldn't have had if she'd remained a purely sugar pop artist.

Karie's 1998 self-titled effort will probably prove to be the best representation of her abilities, as it is a fun record that manages to sound pristine and decadent at the same time. A frivolous remix album followed, and a tepid EP after that, but neither could come close to the giddy abandon of Kahimi Karie. ~ Karen E. Graves, All Music Guide