by Jason AnkenyFrench folk-pop chanteuse Pauline Croze was born in the Paris suburb of Noisy-le-Sec on May 4, 1979. As a teen she began learning guitar, and by 20 was a staple of the local coffeehouse circuit, developing a repertoire of original material composed in collaboration with Seor Holmes alum Quito. In early 2003 Croze launched a writing partnership with Edith Fambeuena and Anne Claverie, who previously teamed in the Etienne Daho-sponsored group Les Valentins. By year's end she scored slots at festivals including Les Transmusicales and landed the track "Larmes" on a compilation CD available with the influential French music journal Les Inrockuptibles. After spending the first half of 2004 on tour in support of acts including Miossec and Lhasa, Croze signed to the Wagram label on her 25th birthday, releasing her Frambeuena-produced eponymous debut LP in early 2005. The album was a critical and commercial success, earning the singer Victoires de la Musique Award nominations in the Breakthrough Act and Album of the Year categories.\r