Regina

Despite sharing a name with Saskatchewan's capital city, the Helsinki-based Regina aren't the kind of band you'd think would choose to associate themselves with the Canadian prairies. Iisa Pykäri sings exclusively in Finnish, which will likely scare away many Anglophone listeners. This is a shame, since Puutarhatrilogia (translation: "garden mind") is a peaceful, immersive album, regardless of whether or not you share the band's dialect. Pykäri has a high, angelic voice, and the fact that she's singing in an unfamiliar language makes her sound all the more ethereal. Her bandmates lay down a peaceful backdrop for her sublime melodies, ranging from the electro-tinged jazz pop of "Vapous" to the tropical percussion and sitar licks of "Sinun tässä salissa." Regina are best when at their most dreamy, with the synth-dazzled "Terveiset päiväntasaajalta" pairing its chilled-out beat with soft-focus keyboard melodies. Forget about the language ― this kind of electro-pop bliss is universal.