Customer Reviews

Tres Cosas

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

source: www.alternativemalta.com

When I bought Argentinian comedian turned chanteuse, Juana Molina's Segundo earlier this year, I was practically knocked of my headphones. I was presented with a highly original mix of vocals tightly integrated with eletronica and acoustica. For weeks my `phones were glued to my ears as Segundo's music unraveled its delights towards me. Although she sings in Spanish her music speaks as well as any language.

Now Molina is back with her third album `Tres Cosas' which is MILES ahead of Segundo. Yes she gone a step further and improved on something that could have been formulaic. `Tres Cosas' is as complex as Segundo BUT where `Segundo' complexity was obvious, here its subtle. On the surface it seems like folk but deeper there is a ton of stuff going on. Again, while `Segundo' distinguished between the electronic and folk bits, here its more bound together. Its almost as if new instruments were created. This album's melodies are more obvious, making `Tres Cosas' a better first listen. Literally this album is divine and completely faultless, it just goes into another sphere. I feel that simply describing it I'm wasting ink or megabytes or whatever. There aren't any highlights because `Tres Cosas' IS a highlight in itself. A full 10 on 10, A++, 20 checkmarks, you know what I mean. Just do yourself a favour and stop depriving your ears from this utter gorgeousness that's begging to be heard and devoured. Screw Madonna, Tori Amos and Beth Orton, this is the real deal and Molina makes everybody else seem like amateurs.

"Cálmame
que en mi se agite
el deseo como un fuego
y me muera por besarte"

If you think the music is the best part of this album, then you have missed out Juana's lyricism (not everyone speaks spanish after all.) For those who were able to read and comprehend the verse prior to this short review, you're in for a(nother) treat. Although often simple, lyrics are sweet and they evoke pictures helped by the music.
Pretty much everyone else has reviewed the music perfectly so I'll leave it at that. Buy this for the music, buy it for the lyrics, buy it for the cover art... just buy it.

there comes Juana Molina's silence. A silence that is not stactic or boring, but reflexive and gentle. There is a cohesivness that crosses all tracks, that at first seems to hurt the record; it is only by repeated listens that you begin to appreciate songs as individual pieces of a whole.

Some tracks, however, stand out immediately: "No es tan cierto" has a "Hui, Hui, Ah, Ahhh.." that one thought could not be done anymore in an original and enticing way.

"Sálvese quien pueda", together with "Solo su voz" constitute the more straightfoward songs (great verses, powerful choruses).

The title track and "El Progreso" are the standouts, nevertheless: expansive, meditative, incredibly well balanced mixtures of folk and electronica.

There are numerous references to Yoga's mantras and the mood the cd stablishes could very well be the soundtrack to a yogui's lifestyle (or at least, during his/her meditative moments hehe).

The production and mixing of the cd is AMAZING; you can see an actual effort in trying to stimulate your senses through constant voice effects, disturbing noises that come and go, and layers and layers of guitars and beats.

I bought this cd before going to see her play with David Byrne - and the songs
are definitely different than the ones on Segundo. They're actually more intimate - more fragile and stripped down, as there are less electronic effects. But the more I listen the more I'm in love with this record. When I saw her play - people were
mesmerized by the hush and intensity of her delivery. Plus, the packaging is so cool. The booklet inside is sewn in to the sleeve.

When I heard the track 'Tres Cosas' on radio one night I knew I had to get the album, and it's quickly turned into one of my favourites - Juana Molina's airy voice floats through a set of mellow and hypnotic tracks that flow perfectly from one to the next. It may create a more subdued mood compared to her album 'Segundo' but in my opinion 'Tres Cosas' is miles ahead of that one - it's more subtle and refined production lends it a warm, enveloping ambience - something that can be enjoyed more and more with each listen, even if you can't understand the lyrics!

Tres Cosas es exquisito desde el minuto cero, las guitarras lo llevan a uno flotando en el aire, y la voz de Juana, suave y mística, trasporta. Recién ahora le están dando un poco de pelota en Argentina, ya que desde "Juana y sus hermanas" hasta "segundo" la gente le dió la espalda y ella se fué a buscar comprensión a otro lado.
Con "Tres Cosas" Juana sigue regalándonos su talento, siguiendo la tradición de su viejo.



If you enjoyed this album, 'though you didn't get the language, i recommend you to get something by the Uruguayan songwriter Jorge Drexler, whose works are sublime; you can also get "Tudo novo di novo" by the brazilian Paulinho Moska, or "Segundo" by María Rita Mariano. South America is full of great musicians you shouldn't miss, and language is a tool, not a wall.
Give a shot to Pequeña Orquesta Reincidentes. They're awesome too.

I don't know what the lyrics mean because I don't speak the language but Juana Molina playing in a room is like lighting a smudge, it fills the room and pushes away a days lament and lets your positive thoughts float.

I love Juana Molina's music, and I like this CD a lot. But it is nowhere near as strong, musically or lyrically, as her previous effort, Segundo, and does not reflect her magnetic performing style anywhere near as well as Segundo does. If you are curious about Juana Molina, or you have seen her perform recently with David Byrne or others, you should definitely buy Segundo first. As I said, I enjoy this CD, but it is VERY low-key and there is not a lot of variation among the songs. (Molina is a trance-y artist to begin with. Plenty of people will find themselves nodding off to even her most energetic work. She's wonderful, but not for everyone.) If you can understand the lyrics, those on Tres Cosas are pleasant, but very placid, meditations on loss, maturity, ecology, and spirituality, that rarely feel specific or intensely personal (in sharp contrast to Segundo). If I had heard this without hearing Segundo or seeing Molina in person, I would never have been willing to put in the effort to appreciate its subtleties or to listen to more of her music, and I would have missed something beautiful in my life.

Listening to Juana Molina is an esoteric experience par excellence, that soothes the senses, quivers the electronic signals of your brain and sends you into another world. The world Molina creates is where the quite meets the modern edge, folk meets electronica, an artsy collage of sound that rings true in spite of the mixing of old and new. Her soft , soothing voice is the perfect tool to guide you into the ambient depths of her soul. I came across her work by accident while listening to the excellent sampler KCRW Presents: Sounds Eclectico. Since then I now own three Molina discs, Son, Segundo and all are excellent. The novel approach of blending folk and electronica, interjected with various samples and loops, pulsating to a Latin beat or not, with introspective vocals is beyond a novelty; after various albums Juana has crafted her art to high art in much the way David Byrne did with his innovative albums from a different era. This is music for kicking back and letting your mind drift, like a canoe floating on air into otherworldly realms. Many good songs abound for the adventurous listnener; too many to name as the music flows conceptually as one. Language is not a barrier if you don't speak Spanish because her music is universal in this case; the imgages of your mind will conjure the spirits of Juana Molina's inner sanctum. A peaceful experience awaits you, tune in you'll love it.

this is an album of quiet hypnotic melodies. spanish songs sung by an angelic gentle voice. soft guitars. subtle violins. ambient electronics. it all blends into the blossoming of an organic whole that holds one in its trance until the end. a delicate, tranquil album. a repository of sweet sounds. great nighttime cd. highly recommended.