I recently stumbled on “Un Día” by Juana Molina at my local library. The strange cover art caught my eye, and after a bit of investigation with Google I conclude it is a real photo of the artist with a doll’s face superimposed. Clever!
This is not just another latin pop album. Each track is a layered soundscape with ostinato and drone elements. She skillfully blends acoustic and electronic instruments that support her chant-like vocals nicely. On the better tracks this leads to an organic mixture that approaches the sublime. My favorite tracks are Los Hongos De Marosa [listen], the Vive Solo [listen], and ¿Quién?.
Her earlier albums (Son, Tres Cosas, and Segundo) are also good. The songs have a more traditional structure and some are straight-up ballads.