Continental Café

Continental Café is the sweet melancholy of a rainy Tuesday afternoon, the sense of finality accompanying the burnt-orange dusk of a summer evening. It's a state of mind that evokes a gossamer gathering of breathy vocals, sugar-sweet melodies, honeyed harmonies, maybe a bossa nova shuffle and elegant electronics. Relax — you're about to be swept under the spell of the soundtrack of sophistication.

Continental Café might be influenced by the pristine pop of the 1960s, but the singsong vocals and skittering beat of Stereolab's "Parsec" and the intricate arrangements Françoiz Breut are beyond time — lost somewhere in a gorgeous daydream. Why stop now when Morcheeba, Feist and Rufus await?

Only one problem with well-known songs defining a mood: Lesser-known songs get lost in the process. What would the Continental Café be without the lazy, cool breeze of Viktor Lazlo or the sultry vocals of Camille on "Making Plans for Nigel? Remember . . . the deeper the groove , the sweeter the sigh.

True, Continental Café pulls from the ranks of indie-, ambient-, and sophisticated-pop. But this evocatively named batch of songs isn't so much a genre as a mood — an exquisite wistfulness mirrored in sophisticated productions caressing seductive vocals, lighter-than-air melodies, and sun-dappled electronics. Think about it: What do '60s blue-eyed-soul songstress Dusty Springfield's "The Look of Love" and '00s acid-jazz duo Koop's "Waltz for Koop" have in common? Not much — except an inexplicable ability to cast a swoon-inducing sonic spell. Prepare to be hypnotized.