Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn
Break Up
(Rhino)
Inspired by Serge Gainsbourg's duets with Brigitte Bardot, singer-songwriter Pete Yorn teams up with actress Scarlett Johansson for Break Up, a sweetly-produced and easy-to-enjoy album. The nine-song collection goes by quickly and has ScarJo and Yorn seductively singing saccharine melodies over Beach-Boys-style production. It's a mellifluous session, but the songs are a little too sappy for my taste. Recorded back in 2006, the album is set to be released next Tuesday, September 8. ScarJo describes this as a "small project between friends." Highlights: "I Don't Know What to Do" and "I Am the Cosmos".