This Montreal trio does a lovely job mixing 90s ethereal pop with the chilly new wave of the 80s. The keyboards are straight 1981 OMD, while the harmonies are much more reminiscent of late-day indie pop. And all the songs are in French, so they sound really cool.

Paupière À Jamais Privé de Réponses (Lisbon Lux)

If you like French, I guess. I took a year of French (and four of Spanish), and I have very little idea what's being sung. But yes, it does sound smooth and seductive. The ever-present synth washes add to that atmosphere.

Where Paupière really soars, however, is in their arrangements. These songs are not complicated at all, and they assemble their parts just idiosyncratically enough to bring a rush of joy at the rousing conclusion.

Despite all of the relatively ancient influences, Paupière sounds wonderfully modern. There's just enough EDM to bring this sound into the recent past. Put all the parts together, and there's more pleasure than most can stand. Quite the bauble.

Jon Worley