By Ben Hoffman
First, I must make clear that this is a French CD and, in conjunction with my lack of knowledge of any other language than English, most of the singing on the tracks is completely lost on me apart from the last, English track.
Language-barrier aside, I really enjoyed the music.
Although the first track reminded me of the Chipmunks with a cat howling in the background, the tempo quickly speeds up and transforms into a uniquely French jazz.
Considering the director wanted "music made by vacuum cleaners, refrigerator shelves and bicycle wheels," what actually appears on the CD is somewhat mild. There is a consistent beat throughout all of the tracks, and I found myself lost in the music. While "Belleville Rendez-vous" repeats itself a number of times, each track presents something slightly new and interesting.
Perhaps I would have got more out of this CD had I seen the animated film the music comes from, as some of the tracks do not hold much meaning by themselves, such as "Bruno’s Theme."
If you know any French, especially if you like jazz, you might want to check this out.