One thing I think I've learned over the past couple years is to always trust something which shares members of the Notwist, Tied & Tickled Trio, and Console collectives. Couple that with the fact that Morr Music has become an industry leader for superb electronic pop challengers.
Elsewhere in the world, I'm also coming to the realization that I've been so sour to the last two Radiohead albums is not because of the genre they're experimenting with, but the fact that at the cost of their transformation, they have completely sacrificed the art of songcraft - and have been subsequently praised for what is essentially sloppy, whiny messes. Lali Puna's debut preceeded 'Kid A' by almost two years, but this, their second album follows both that and 'Amnesiac' and blows them each out of the water. At the core of this group is a quartet which features Portuguese singer Valerie Trebljahr, electronic wizard Marcus Acher (Notwist/Tied and Tickled Trio) plus a live bass guitarist and drummer. The album comfortably eases into pace with the opener, "Nin-Com-Pop" which builds at a cold-calculated pace, adding in each instrument gradually into a fine mix of pure prototypical pop. The sonic mastery continues over the rest of the first side as the collection is colored by a Portuguese speech and football match tune, "Contratempo", another worthy pop classic, "Bi-Pet" and the side's closer, the itimate title track. Side two opens with the instrumental "18 Faces of" and continues on with a very pumping Japanese pop-esque decadance of "Lowdown" (not a Wire cover). The rest of the side takes a more free-form attitude as the group can be described as pushing improvisation while remaining in the confines of rigid beats and pretty melodies. Not a bad thing at all. This album is multifunctional - it works well on long car trips, exhilirating bikerides or at home at very loud levels on the hi-fi. I also can't argue with the fact that people are always phoning the station when I or my friend Brian Cleary plays a track from them. Lali Puna are proof that electronic music can indeed be both well-crafted and super-enjoyable.
 
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