This could be a confused mess or a delight. Thankfully, from the moment Asa sets the beat with her moody track "Jailer", it’s mostly the latter.

Talk about eclectic! Gary Burton’s kicks off his version of the Astor Piazzolla tune "Libertango" with enchanting marimba playing, and "Ballade de Melody Nelson", a Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin duet, conjures old Parisian movies with its wistful accordion playing and breathy vocals.

Then it’s hard to sit still as Tinariwen’s "Cler Achel" strikes up. The rolling rhythm of Sergio Mendes’ classic samba, "Mais Que Nada", will get you swaying (Carlos Santana, eat your corazón out).

Angelique Kidjo takes the bluesy "Summertime" for a bass-licked walk with vocals that combine English and her native Fon in captivating style.

There are oddities, such as "Churning Strides" by Thee, Stranded Horse (Normandy artist Yann Tambour). The music-box feel of his precise and delicate kora playing is oddly paired with the weirding nasal twang of a demented pirate: not for everybody.

Another curiosity is Dave Pike’s retro sitar piece, "Mathar". It’s a pleasant but rather derivative filtering of Indian music reminiscent of George Harrison’s 1966 tune "Love You To". Unfortunately, it turns into the theme tune to a nostalgic TV show about hippies.

It’s hard to pin down this album but the selection is united by a sense of energy and style. Carla Bruni is the new first lady of France and may yet be their first lady of song. Her "Lady Weeping at the Crossroads" has Leonard Cohen "deep" lyrics but she could probably sing the phone book to this languid music and gain an appreciative audience.

Souad Massi’s "Ghir Enta" creates a seductive tide of music with a sinuous vocal. It makes me feel like I should be dancing slowly in a café bistro that opens to the sea.

By the time the slinky "Ne Bi Fe" by Oumou Sangare closes the album, you may think this is just right for filling a room with warmth and vitality in the early stages of a party, or to put on when you are sitting alone.

Either way, it provides an enchanting selection, a variety of sweet and sombre moods, and playing that swings between lilting and energetic. Soon, you’ll be getting out the map to find Villages 1 and 2.

Universal, Get Music