Un Dia
JUANA MOLINA
(Domino/EMI)
This is the fifth release from Argentina’s Juana Molina. Formerly known as a comic actor, Molina is now releasing some of the most beguiling music to be created this side of the equator.
Whilst her previous releases were somewhat fractured, Un Dia finds Molina with a more defined sonic sensibility. The music lies somewhere between the experimental folktronica of Four Tet and the organic ethereality of Vespertine-era Björk. Molina’s Spanish vocals are used as another instrument, with phrases and words repeated more for their rhythmic characteristics than their inscribed meaning.
4 out of 5

Car Alarm
THE SEA AND CAKE
(Popfrenzy/Stomp)
There is a certain art to crafting a great pop song. This art is not defined by a song’s popularity, but by its infectiousness and familiarity. Chicago outfit The Sea and Cake create pop music that is deceptively complex, with odd time signatures and unusual chords. This is hardly surprising, given lead vocalist/guitarist Sam Prekop boasts a PhD in music, and is something of a legend in the Chicago underground for his work in early post-rock band Shrimp Boat.

The new album from The Sea and Cake (their eighth) is not as immediately catchy as last year’s Everybody but still has a positive energy to it, which has the effect of taking you back to a place in your younger days; somewhere marked by endless freedom, warm weather and a spirit of adventure. A great summer record.
3 ½ out of 5

The Chemistry of Common Life
FUCKED UP
(Matador/Remote Control)
Opening with a barely audible solo flute intro, one is advised not to turn up the stereo to compensate. Because 45-seconds in, the guitar washes begin to emerge, slowly building for another minute before lead singer Pink Eyes howls the band’s intentions directly into your eardrums.

Canadians Fucked Up are a hardcore act, but that definition only scrapes the surface of what they do. Dealing with everything from organised religion to the creation of the Earth, you can hear a great purpose in their music. The violent delivery of the vocals is cathartic, but there are also moments of calm and reflection, such as on the instrumental interludes ‘Golden Seal’ and ‘Looking for God’.

Fucked Up and their fans recently destroyed a bathroom during a live performance on MTV in Canada. Let’s hope their wave of destruction makes its way to Melbourne sometime soon.
4 out of 5