Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 3rd Edition, defines ‘twee’ as “affectedly clever, dainty, elegant, etc.; mincing cute or sweet.” As it were, ‘twee’ is also a perfect definition of the genre of French pop and of one of its current purveyors, Tahiti 80. It is the genre that conjures images of innocence, sweetness and a certain lightness of being -- sort of like the aural equivalent of a miniature beret. So too is Tahiti 80 and its sophomore offering Wallpaper for the Soul. Each song on Wallpaper floats on billowy clouds of sonic feathers via gently plucked guitars, light synths and so much ethereal atmospherics. The best, however, is when the Tahiti joins with former Beatles’ orchestrator Richard Hewson in five tracks that lend symphonic grandeur to the airy wonderland spaces. Twee indeed.

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