Lily Frost: Ciné-Magique

Ciné-Magique, the fourth album from Canadian alt-pop singer-songwriter Lily Frost, is an addictive delight. Much like the 1960s French pop chanteuses she admires, Frost’s precise soprano is both playfully sexy and adorably cute. While that country’s compositional style also flavors her recordings (especially the French-sung “Je Reviendrai”), other influences are at work here as well. Her Chilean husband, Jose Miguel Contreras, produced the record and played many of the instruments, imbuing the song with the accents of his Spanish heritage (“Raise the Veil”) and, curiously, something of a Spaghetti Western touch, as well (“Seasons’ Song”). Mostly, though, the disc has the feel of ’60s girl pop (“The Priscillas’ Song”) mixed with early 20th century show tune writing (“So in Love” is a Cole Porter cover, while the Frost/Contreras original “Enchantment” is merely indebted to that era), all filtered through a modern indie framework (the dark and rumbling “Pacha Mama”). Ciné-Magique is a fun and very inviting album. Checking out her MySpace page, one gets the feeling that all her “friends” (i.e., fans) might actually be, you know, friends. Hopefully, with this winning album, Lily Frost will be making the acquaintance of a great many more.