Kellarissa

Larissa Loyva's sophomore album as Kellarissa (Finnish for "in the basement") sees the P:ano and Choir Practice collaborator emerging on her terms. Recorded in the fizzling aftermath of a long-term relationship, one can sense that Larissa had no desire to B.S. on Moon of Neptune. Her graphic lyrics and sincere inflections betray her tribulations. While her intensely captivating voice carries the album, often layered and processed to sound like an unearthly choir, her minimal instrumentals reveal her myriad influences. This album will see the name Kellarissa circulated in popular circles next to the likes of looping lo-fi pop folk freak Merrill Garbus (tUnE-yArDs) and the legendary Nico, who is one of Larissa's professed favourites. The title track evokes the edgy retro-futurism of Broadcast. "Blood + Sand" touches upon the style of pulsing, analog synth pop often visited by Numbers and Adult, while droning epic "Niagra" could have been on an early '70s Cluster album. It's as if short-lived '60s psychedelic outfit the United States of America lasted long enough to make a Krautrock album. Kellarissa's latest batch of dissonant alien soundscapes and unsettling utterances is unforgettable.