Belinda Carlisle, Voila

This album is fanfreakingtastic. I can only guess at the accuracy of Belinda's pronunciation but it doesn't matter here. Whatever she is singing about is brimming with emotion and conviction. The album has an essentially pop feel to it but there is a nice diversity of music here. It has a very honest, earthy feel tinged with electronic modernity. Listening to this must certainly be the modern day equivalent of watching a Godard film during the French New Wave.

The team, which includes John Reynolds as Producer, and Brian Eno, Natacha Atlas, and Sharon Shannon as session artists, et. al., has infused East Indian sounds into the western melodies creating a beautiful, trance-like quality; most evident on "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp"

How do you credibly remake "La Vie En Rose"? Give it a beatnik-inspired bongo beat, layer Belinda's stadium-quality vocals on the chorus, revisit the transcendental East Indian warble and make what had better be marketed as the next big club hit! I dare you not to have visions of Grace Kelly in her convertible gliding through Monte Carlo as thousands of doves swarm the twilight skies when you listen to this.

I don't know exactly what's happening to the poor girl in "Ne Me Quitte Pas" but it's powerful. If her man doesn't have roses in his hand when he comes home- he'd better stay gone. Belinda has gone beyond singing pop music and entered musical storytelling. Forget tracing a "Circle in the Sand." Drive your Citroen off that "Emotional Highway." These are real feelings, raw and visceral resonations.

Don't let the soft opening fool you, "Des Ronds Dans L'eau" is catchy, funky, and beautiful. Of special note are the very French feeling accordion, the pulsing synth sound evoking a bubble machine and, of course, the interesting juxtaposition of Belinda's vocals snapping from a sense of resignation to dictator-like zeal. (The guitar strums in the opening sound remarkably like the opening to her last single, "All God's Children".)

Tilt my beret and butter my croissant! "Sous Le Ciel De Paris" couldn't be more French. Belinda's "mmm hmmms" have a certain je ne se quoi (did I spell that right?) that smacks of artsy fartsy, Foucault-inspired, intellectual elitism. Kudos to whoever thought up the Les Miserable chorus - Vive La Revolution! The chanting legion is brilliantly placed over a backdrop of mysterious and uniquely French-sounding "circus on the moon" style rhythms.

"Jezebel" sounds like a stagecoach robbery would feel. If you aren't sweating after hearing this, you aren't human. There are amazing Spanish guitars on this number. Do I hear that French accordion again? An inspired blend - seriously. The gunshot evoking "clap clap clap" adds drama and, of course, Belinda is storytelling again. There is massive energy coming from her voice. You can feel the frenzy in her last "Jez-ah-bel-l-l-l" which leaves her spent as the last breath leaves her throat.

"Merci Cherie" is beautiful, emotional and well-executed. Of particular note is the snare drum. Dropped over that fabulous accordion, it brings an emotional resolve to the song that serves it well.

Remember Audrey Hepburn contorting her body to the hip beatnik rhythms in "Funny Face"? Funk that up with a shiny, silver, skin-tight spacesuit and hang out with Carlos Castaneda to truly understand "Contact." What a cool song. No idea what the original was like but this spacey, echoy, dusty vinyl sound with click track is very catchy.

"Pourtant Tu M'aimes" is a sort of 'best of the rest.' All the great parts of the other songs come together here with a syncopated beat. It opens with a groovy, minimalist interpretation of contstructivist factory sounds and becomes a fully-produced, rock-styled pop song. This may offend some, but, this is the most Go-Go's friendly track. Not that there has to be one, but can't you just hear Jane on those wild backing vocals; Kathy grinding that bass? Charlotte gets to pull out the keyboard (can she play the accordion?) and Gina could drive the hell out of this number in place of the click track. Do it y'all!

"Avec Le Temps" is a dream. It's lilting and spiritual. The strings and xylophone provide an ethereal backdrop which ebbs and swells, creating a gentle passage of time hinting at eternity but ultimately hindered by mortality. The squishy echoes help deepen the space and, with the right sound system, would make a very cool planetarium experience. Belinda, were you crying when you sang this? **sniff** I bet you were.

"Bonnie Et Clyde"! What fresh Bel(inda) this is! This is another example of Belinda's obvious work paying off. I imagine there is a bit of credit due to John Reynolds here too, but listen to her opening script. She pulls the listener in as a unique blend of sex kitten and master of ceremonies. Don't quite understand the jungle sounds in the background but they work. Guess it's part of the East Indian thing and I love it. Everyone say it with me, "Bah-knee and Cly-y-deh"

Very Belinda, that delivery.

Vive "Voila!" ;)

If you're expecting a Go-Go's or Belinda solo pop CD, be prepared and open to this change.

She's changed everything on this one, people.