Juana Molina - 'Son' (Domino) Released 05/06/06

One for an afternoon in a hammock this - slouching through the day with a bottle of rum, the sun on your face and some smokes. All gentle, dreamy harmonies, soft intimate vocals, cool, folktronic arrangements and lyrics in that most delicious of languages: Spanish. Okay, you may not know what Juana Molina is actually singing about - hopefully sex and death and the Leftward shift in Latin politics - but this soothes and entices nonetheless, remaining kooky enough to avoid the ball and chain of the World Music tag.

Juana is a famous television actress in South America, but this in no crass, tick-every-box attempt at renaissance-woman bravado, but more of a luscious, subdued affair. Think of Beth Orton or Julie Delpy crossed with that Gonzalez guy - all delicate, understated melodies and a hushed sense of wonder. The song-writing is good - albeit formulaic folk stuff - but the strength of the record lies in the additional low-key beats, pulses and electronic blips, which create a richly textured sonic landscape.

For lesser artists this would be their downfall, but 'Son' works because the overall feel is natural, organic and refined. The tracks are well crafted and deliberate, build around the deft arrangements, rather than sounding like they have been heavily manipulated in the studio. Thus ‘Rio Seco’, ‘No Seas Antipatica’ and ‘Desordenado’ all have an early-morning dew-drop grace and a crisp, breezy, idiosyncratic style. Give them time and they will slowly work their magic on you.