Various Artists: Pop Romantique: French Pop Classics

In the race to out-cool one another, bands have on occasion unearthed bits of pop-culture detritus better left buried; lounge music comes to mind. But if it weren't for the continued championing of French pop music, such inspired figures as Serge Gainsbourg might have remained hidden forever from American music lovers. Yet if the new Pop Romantique, a collection of French pop songs played by some of the world's best bands, is to be believed, there's little more to French pop than Gainsbourg, King Of The Perverts: Half the covers included are his. Ivy, whose singer Dominique Durand is from Paris, performs the bright "L'anamour," while the defunct Heavenly offers up a fine "Nous Ne Sommes Pas De Anges." Godzuki and John Wesley Harding cover "Contact" and "Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais," respectively, but the album's best songs are either more obscure material from the likes of Luna (Michel Polnareff's " La Poupee Qui Fait Non") or, surprisingly enough, originals. The very American Apples In Stereo contributes its own French classic, "Avril En Mai," while the French band Air teams up with legendary chanteuse Françoise Hardy—whose own "Pardon" is recorded by The Hang Ups—for "Jeanne." Following the example of Fairport Convention, Lloyd Cole cheekily translates a Dylan song, "Si Tu Dois Partir," into French, which kind of misses the point, and The Ladybug Transistor collaborates with art-rock survivor Kevin Ayers on "Puis-Je" The cherry on the top of Pop Romantique is Bassiak's wordy "Le Tourbillion," from Jules Et Jim, sung by The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt in an especially un-Merritt-like manner. Like a good deal of kitschy French pop, the novelty wears off quickly, but Pop Romantique should please the twee Francophiles who love their indie-pop bittersweet.