Juana Molina - Tres Cosas

Swiftly following her UK debut Segundo (released as her second Argentine LP in 2000), Tres Cosas confirms Molina as a mistress of the soft musical arts. Ghosts of bossa nova inhabit her songs'rhythms and her breathy, precise voice, while her production parallels Four Tet's folktronica, with slivered acoustic guitar notes alongside quiet electronic storms. Her arrangements are also imaginatively apt, from the unpredictable slow build of the near six-minute "Sálvese Quién Pueda"to the dark Nick Drake strings of "El Progreso"and a beautiful piano coda, "Insensible".

Subtle, unclassifiable sonic magic from a major talent.

Rating: 4 / 10