NOW PLAYING: Charlotte Gainsbourg, ‘IRM’

The Details: Charlotte Gainsbourg, IRM (Because Music, 2009)

A Quick Review: For some reason, we assumed this album would sound like a bunch of breathing exercises–a lot of cooing and come-ons, caught in a narcotic haze like Gainsbourg’s last LP, 5:55. Instead, Beck gives songs like “Trick Pony,” “Greenwich Mean Time” and “Heaven Can Wait” a nice kick in the pants. And if you prefer Gainsbourg playing hard to get, there’s still some of that as well.