Rendezvous

Singer Lornalee has mapped out an interesting niche for herself on her debut album, Rendezvous. Singing mostly in French and in a sultry, velvety voice, she evokes images of smoky cabarets, sidewalk cafes and softly lit lounges. But her accompaniment is a modern amalgam of jazz and electronica, a strange combination of sounds that ends up occupying a sort of borderland territory that incorporates elements of lounge music, techno, jazz, and Europop. This is romantic music, but romantic in a way that will appeal to adults more than to youngsters (the accompanying materials suggest that the album be filed under "Lifestyle"), but all ages will appreciate the often subtle elegance of the arrangements and what are sometimes surprisingly funky beats. For the latter, check out "Can't Get Over You" with its dark electro flavor, or notice the gentle hint of junglism lurking in the drum machine on "Jalousie," or shake your hips to the stuttering funk drums and wispy electric piano on "Je Rêve Que Je Rêve." For elegance, there's the jazzy "At Last" as well as the softly pleading "Es-Tu Sincère?." Feel free to skip over "Get Up Get Started," with its unpleasantly wanky wah-wah guitar and clunky beat. Very nice overall.