Stereo Total's 1999 album
My Melody continues the group's tradition of international pop postmodernism and clever covers, including two
Serge Gainsbourg numbers -- the appropriately go-go-flavored "Vilaines Filles, Mauvais Garçons" and "In/Out" -- and a Casio-colored version of
Pizzicato Five's "Tokyo Mon Amour." "Ringo I Love You" by
Bonni Jo Mason (aka
Cher) and
the Beatles' "Drive My Car" (known here as "Tu Peux Conduire Ma Bagnole") also get the
Stereo Total treatment, giving
My Melody's sound a mid-'60s foundation. Though their covers are entertaining,
Stereo Total's original songs complete their sound, blending together so many pop music elements that they also resemble covers or forgotten B-sides. "Beautycase," which lists the contents of a cosmetics case, has the new wave stomp of a forgotten
Nena track, while "Larmes Toxique" and "Tout le Monde Se Fout des Fleurs" capture the delicate drama of French pop divas like
Françoise Hardy. With its immediate, lo-fi sound and enthusiastic performances,
My Melody is a charming, sprawling journey through
Stereo Total's diverse pop world. [Kill Rock Stars reissued
My Melody in 2006.] ~ Heather Phares