JUANA MOLINA
UN DIA (Domino B001EOQUDM)

This is mesmerizing, I can't remember when I last put on a CD and was enrapt from the first notes. There is a trance groove that is very reminiscent of Congolese electric thumb piano groups like Konono Numero Un (without their instrumentation). There is human voice in loops (like early Steve Reich on "Come out to show them" or "It's gonna rain"), saxes, electric guitars, organ, echoey bass drum, but so densely layered it is just a wall of sound, and that's just the start. The experimental aspect is intriguing. Molina comes from an arts background: her dad was a famous Tango singer and her mother an actress, and after growing up in Paris she returned to Argentina to become a tv comedienne, but gave it up for music. In the title song she sings: "Un día voy a cantar las canciones sin letra y cada uno podrá imaginar si hablo de amor, de desilusión, banalidades o sobre Platón. (One day I will sing the songs with no lyrics and everyone can imagine for themselves if it's about love, disappointment, banalities or about Plato.)" I was trying to think back to art rock bands of my youth like Young Marble Giants, but 30 years ago is so distant I can barely remember what they sounded like. The keyboard player goes from funky clavinet to metallophone sounds. The vocals and acoustic guitar are sharp and keep it all together over the hypnotic layered rhythms. One drawback is the sound overwhelms the voice so it ends up giving you the impression of needing more vocal grounding. Nevertheless this is definitely a keeper.

By: Alastait Johnston