To most of the Spanish speaking world, Juana Molina is known as the comedic star of
Juana y sus hermanas, a sketch show that, judging by YouTube videos, looked pretty corny. It's a strangely different world from the one that the Argentinian native resides in now, where her strangely unique electronic folk is covered by web magazines with enthusiasm. Yet somehow, Juana Molina's more recent endeavors are still under-appreciated in these communities; you won't see hordes of bloggers scrambling to get their opinions in on her albums, and you definitely won't see your neighborhood hipster's eyes gleam at the mention of her music.
All that lavish contradict the understated and modest demeanor of the sounds Molina creates, and
Un Dia (One Day) is an adequate portrayal. Previous releases, namely
Tres Cosas and
Son, occasionally meandered in repetition; pleasant chord progressions went on without much thought, only broken up by layered vocals and intermittent keyboard pieces. With
Un Dia it seems that she has started taking more chances and embracing her freaky side. The opening title track briefly begins with mountainous and airy vocals, before goofy loops break into the mix. Percussion, horns, and distant whistles are introduced later and aid in the merriment, and for the first time it sounds like Juana is actually having fun.
For the next several songs, ambience is reestablished. This isn't fifteen-synthesizers-in-heaven type stuff either; instead, we have melodic loops and brief bits of vocals repeated and altered with plenty of warped melodies. "Los Hongos de Marosa" is bizarre stretched out until it resembles coherency - scat singing, Game Boy sounds and all. "¿Quien? (Suite)" is perhaps one of Molina's best songs to date, combining a relaxed guitar figure with bubbling synthesizer noodling in the best way possible.
If there were any doubts that she could sound seductive, "Dar (Que Dificil)" dispels them. With a consistent electro-pop beat behind her, Molina gently coos out the lyrics with a flair she never seemed to have before, even when the words are morphed into quirky bleeps. The driving rhythm ends
Un Dia on an unassuming and modest note, something in keeping with Juana Molina's personality and artistic vision so far; she might not be the most spectacular composer in today's scene, but her music possesses a distinctive feel that nobody has yet to replicate.
