After the recent thread here about lali puna/notwist/etc, i thought
this review of the new Lali Puna album from the Dense webzine might
be of interest to some. I'm not heard it myself but am eager to do so!
.........................
LALI PUNA | Scary World Theory [CD Morr Music]
Right now Lali Puna are favourites of both Radiohead and Andrew Weatherall
- a few months ago the latter admitted he was listening to Lali Puna on a
never-ending loop...." (Les Inrockuptibles | 06.2001).
For the last three years Valerie Trebeljahr has been quietly whittling away
at her very own blueprint of pop music. Steering well clear of prevalent
harmless geniality, her aim is to cleverly and intelligently dissect our
perception of the world around us.
After initial, tentative solo ventures on a four track and contributions to
the Hausmusik Reihenhaus" 7" series as well as The Safe Side" on Belgian
label K-raa-k, Lali Puna have now become a fully fledged band, carefully
selecting band members (from Console, Notwist, Tied and Tickled Trio, Iso
68, Fred is Dead) as well as infrequent collaborators (Bomb the Bass, Two
Lone Swordsmen). Following last years album debut "Tridecoder", their
latest offering "Scary World Theory", again released by Morr Music, has now
achieved the perfect combination of pop and (personal) politics.
Behind ostensibly shy, almost withdrawn vocals Valerie is by no means coy
about confronting the world's ambivalent status quo, bluntly documenting
current conditions underneath putative fragility. And the music, too,
demands our full attention. Between hummable chords and sometimes soothing,
almost hypnotic monotony, each repetition discloses multi-layered complexity
as well as cleverly hidden counterpoints. No matter if atmospheric
(Satur-nine), exuding classical warmth (Contratempo, Lowdown) or quietly
breathy (Scary World Theory) - again and again Lali Puna tear heartbreaking
harmonies from the sparsest of arrangements. 50 Faces Of rewinds the beat
to move our feet with funky House breaks, intersected by stubbornly chirping
electronics.
Nevertheless, Lali Puna's precision is best revealed on Nin-com-pop or Don't
Think - here seemingly unemotional reduction coaxes its way into our ears
with unflustered self-confidence and refuses to go away
Produced by Mario Thaler (a.o. Notwist, Slut) "Scary World Theory" is a
confidently melancholic album quite happy with itself. And willing to
spread that happiness. If we're prepared to let it enter our lives, that
is.
Every time I play the record to someone, they fall in love with the music
and I simply have to let them have it. Coward that I am, I'm on my fourth
copy now." (Colin Greenwood, Radiohead on "Tridecoder")
Review by: dense@dense.de
http://www.dense.de
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