Juana Molina

On her fifth album, the Argentine future-folkie sticks to the script of her previous releases, but that's just fine. With her usual tools -- acoustic guitars, subdued percussion, subtle electronics and her wispy voice -- Molina keeps finding new passageways to a strange, subconscious realm that's bathed in light. For the delicacy of her approach, Molina's music has real muscle: beyond folk and bossa nova, you can hear references to musique concrete, ambient electronics, spaghetti westerns, Indian ragas and even Public Enemy. It's a feather duvet sewn to the specs of a fine-art museum.

Imagine if Tina Fey quit comedy and sang electronics-based folk songs. That's the path
Juana Molina took more than 10 years ago in her native Argentina, leaving her job as a TV
comedian to pursue experimental folk. Her fifth disc is her most adventurous, combining
avant-garde vocals with the atmospherics of Portishead and My Bloody Valentine. With
looped guitar, hypnotic percussion and a bit of feedback, the title track sounds... More >