April March

Issued before the release of Chrominance Decoder, April March's first large-scale U.S. album, Lessons of April March collects tracks March recorded with Bertrand Burgulat (three of which appear on Chrominance Decoder), as well as cuts from her Sympathy for the Record Industry releases (Los Cincos, Chick Habit and Paris in April). As such, the record has a pasted-together feel, largely due to the sheer number of collaborators March has worked with -- but at points, it's a lovely showcase for her re-creations of 1960s French pop and yè-yè music. Case in point: the track "Chick Habit," which adapts English lyrics from Serge Gainsbourg's "Laisser Tomber les Filles," originally sung by France Gall. March's more modern tracks are a hit or miss affair here -- those which later appeared on Chrominance Decoder are slick, unique and thoroughly worthwhile, but some of the earlier work collected on the album (and the closing track "Jesus and I Love You," from the Orgazmo soundtrack) seem like tacked-on throwaways. ~ Nitsuh Abebe, Rovi