AMG Review of Autour de Lucie [1996]

Roch Parisien
All Music Guide

From the opening bird calls and ringing-bell guitar chimes of captivating lead track "L'accord parfait," Paris' demure Autour de Lucie serves notice that winning Anglo-style pop need not be a slave to language or geographical barriers. Gorgeous and luxuriously atmospheric, the group evokes the traditional, electro-acoustic innocence of such other female-led ensembles as the Sundays and St. Etienne. Strings dance with guitars on several tracks, toying most effectively with Middle Eastern motifs that add exotic flavors to "Le tournesol" and "Simon." Only a very few numbers from this warm, romantic debut verge on too slight and precious to generate an indelible impression before evaporating into audio ether.