ETIENNE CHARRY

Created by the mad French scientist Etienne Charry, 36 Erreurs is an understated title for a record that’s nothing like its name implies. Thanks to the accompanying press release, we monolingual Americans can discover that the title translates into “36 errors” and, apparently, the 36 songs are about such odd topics as hot-point branding and men in the moon. The French-impaired will never be the wiser, as the words are just one ingredient of this dense, delicious treat that was recorded primarily with layer upon layer of what sounds like rinky-dink keyboards with a few violins thrown in. Even if the average song clocks in at just under a minute and a half, the album still contains hours of melodic inspiration and never fails to go in the exact opposite direction of what is expected. If 36 Erreurs is indeed nothing but a series of mistakes, then at least they’re the brilliant kind of mistakes. Anyone for French lessons?