In that sense, she can be likened to Chet Baker, the hard-living trumpeter who became similarly popular in the '50s with his whispery vocals and restrained sense of swing.
" She also covers "The Girl from Ipanema" -- though naturally in her whispery rendition she flips "girl" to "boy" -- and gives a fresh spin on Frank Sinatra's "Where or When.
The influence of Serge Gainsbourg is audible in the opulent sonic textures, in the cheeky wordplay of Leon's French lyrics and, especially, in his whispery talk-singing a vocal style pioneered by Gainsbourg that gives every song the feel of a slightly scandalous confession.