Imagine the sound of Madonna suddenly obsessing over Chinese styled karaoke ballads. Enter Birgit. Judging by the album shots, Birgit, with her foxy Eurasian self, could easily whip up the cream of sum young guy. Unfortunately, the package looks better than it sounds. There is a smattering of classical Chinese instrumentation, and the “Breathing Exercise” installments call to mind low-budget Kung Fu flick exchanges between master and student, but True Stories I Made Up is simply boring, well-produced schlock from someone that can sing, but has no real edge. I’m sure with the right backing Birgit can move plenty of units. There’s a host of teenagers and 20-somethings that get all torn up over songs like “Sleeping Pill,” “Not Just Anyone,” or “Take A Better Look.” I’m just not one of them.

(Zip Records, 116 New Montgomery Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94105-8426)