Search - April March :: Paris in April

Ooh la la

Kenneth Salzer | Ravenna, OH United States | 01/18/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Fans of Ms. March's *Chrominance Decoder* should check out this earlier work. Some of the tunes come from her *Chick Habit* EP, such as the title track and its French equivalent "Laisse Tomber les Filles." Of course, any 90s retro chanteuse must include at least one Serge Gainsbourg number ("Chez les Yeye" and, in English, "The Land of Go"). While this musical bilingualism gets kind of repetitive on a short album (34 minutes), Ms. March has enough flair and wit to make *Paris in April* a swinging good time. Gogo!"

Paris in April

Steward Willons | Illinois | 04/20/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"April March has a voice from a different era. In the early 21st century, so many of the pop vocalists sound like Madonna and Britney Spears that it's tough to find someone who really sounds *different*. Now we've got a lot of people sounding like Fiest. The market permits few deviations (Bjork notwithstanding), but then again April March isn't concerned with the pop charts. Her high, girlish voice with an ever-present slap delay reminds one of Linda Scott, but with a French twist.



"Paris in April" puts the french connection out in front with its bilingual track list. Many of the tracks appear in both English and French, which is strange to me. I've seen multiple language versions on singles and 12"s, but to repeat a whole album is a first. Actually, it's more of an EP, especially when you consider that the whole thing is about 35 minutes.



A lot of people compare her to France Gall, and while it's a fair comparison, March has plenty of distinguishing characteristics, especially when she's singing in English. I think to say she is a Gall derivative is going too far, although this album is not the best choice to back up my argument. In my mind, comparing March to Gall is like comparing Harry Connick Jr. to Frank Sinatra. Where Harry sounds a little like Frank when he's singing with a big band, March sounds a little like Gall when she's covering Gall's old songbook. That's about as far as it goes.



"Paris in April" is a refreshing change from the pop norm. It's accessible, groovy, and above all, fun. I would imagine most people could pop this disc in and enjoy right away. It's definitely worth a listen, especially if you like 60s rock 'n roll. Or Serge Gainsbourg. Highly recommended."