Juana Molina
Issue #28
Son (Domino)
By Sam Scranton
Published: June 1st, 2006 | 8:00am
According to the press release for Son, Juana Molina has recently found influence in “the randomness of the combination of sounds in nature,” by listening to the interactions of birds and how their short loops of melodic fragment recombine to create fresh sonorities over and over again. On this, her third stateside release, Molina uses synthesizers, her own voice, and, in some instances, field recordings to layer accidental harmonies over her characteristic loping acoustic guitar and playful vocals.
On Son, Molina successfully embraces the aesthetic of the accident but not in the sense of a wrong note or poorly placed rhythm. This album is meticulously produced and sounds in every way intentional, even perfect. Rather, these songs embrace accident in the sense of chance accumulation, like birds gathering in a grassy patch to fight over a bread crumb, each contributing its bickering song, and in the ensuing tumult emerges beauty and consonance. Molina's newfound aesthetic is best realized on “Un Beso Llega” and “Disordeno.” Meows, whispers, and magical-animal synthesizers gather – even compete at times – but ultimately achieve a sense of unity.
What arises from the combination of nature's randomness and eclecticism with Molina’s meditative folk is reminiscent of a walk through a park while listening to Brian Eno. Where Eno's ambient works act as a sponge to sop up shuffling feet or distant shouting, Molina's ruminant guitar absorbs otherwise random sounds and passing – even dissonant – harmonies, allowing the listener to interpret the noise as a part of the music. On the title track, melody gives way to bells ringing, which in turn give way to whistling, yet the sense of the song is not lost. This emphasis on through-composed, evolving song structures resembles a walk where too many sounds are present to pay attention to all of them simultaneously, but proximity to new events changes one's focus.
Fortunately, on Son, no matter which sound comes into focus, each new sound reveals a beautiful day.
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