Pop Up

Album Review

By the time her debut was released stateside, Yelle's sound wasn't exactly groundbreaking; there were plenty of dancey, synthy, indie dance-pop acts bopping around by the time Pop-Up came out in 2007. Similar to cheeky outfits like Bonde do Rolê and CSS, Yelle (aka Julie Budet) draws from any number of dance-pop artists from the '80s and early '90s — think Madonna and Paula Abdul at their most synthy and shoulder-padded, not to mention a handful of edgier artists like Bow Wow Wow and Tom Tom Club. Yelle also gives a heavy nod to old-school hip-hop artists, specifically girl groups like L'Trimm and J.J. Fad. That's a heck of a lot of influences — you could say that one of the trademarks of Yelle's sound is that it takes a lot of legwork to describe it, which is probably because she does a great job of channeling the spirit of late-'80s and early-'90s dance-pop. Pop-Up stood out from the crowd if only because it was absolutely unafraid to be wry, wacky, frothy, and utterly fun — a real testament to Budet and album-mate GrandMarnier's creative chemistry. It's a delectable, sassy romp from start to finish, all the way from uptempo dance tracks like "Les Garcons" and "Je Veux Tu Voir" to sexy, slow numbers like "Tu Es Beau" and "Les Femmes." You could say that Yelle delivered something that no one else was delivering at the time — joie de vivre. This, above all, is what makes Pop-Up such a fun ride — Budet sounds genuinely exuberant (but really, can you expect anything less from someone who gave herself a stage name that stands for "You Enjoy Life"?), and it's downright contagious. Shining like a pair of skin-tight silver stirrup pants, Pop-Up is a perfect storm of glossy production values, smart songwriting, and Budet's sparkling delivery.