Keren Ann: Not Going Anywhere

The tone of her music may borrow from the same haunted brand of melancholy mastered by Francoise Hardy some 40 years earlier, but French singer Keren Ann's understated arrangements and fragile voice capture a warmer intimacy than Hardy ever attempted in her 1960s prime. Keren Ann, whose full name is Keren Ann Zeidel, has released three solo collections in France. Her first English-language collection is a delicate gem that shows her fondness for sedate, minimal melodies. "Not Going Anywhere" is the perfect headphones album. She delivers the title track in a quiet quiver. Categorizing "Not Going Anywhere" is all but impossible. There are strong hints of folk, but there are also subtle electronics that surface on songs such as the sublime "End of May," which shimmers as a children's choir harmonizes over a cascade of delicate bells. Strains of Suzanne Vega and Astrud Gilberto run throughout these songs, but it's Keren Ann's personality that's most notable.