JAALA "Joonya Spirit" CD

This is the first appearance in Japan of the Melbourne band Jaara, led by the extremely unique and charismatic singer Cojima Pei. This is their thrilling second album.

■Jaara is a Melbourne four-piece band led by the band's frontwoman, singer-songwriter/guitarist Cosima Pei, who has been described as a punk Joanna Newsom or Amy Winehouse at her most innocent. This is their long-awaited second album, following their first album "Hard Hold" in 2015, which was produced by Paul Bender of Hiatus Kaiyote and was highly praised by American media such as Pitchfork. As with the previous album, Paul Bender is in charge of producing some of the songs.

■The fusion of Kojima's cute and aggressive singing voice and the cutting-edge, complex, yet pop and sophisticated sound, described as proggy punk rock, is extremely stimulating. Kojima's vocals bounce freely over the original sound, which also incorporates odd time signatures and stop-and-go rhythms, making your heart dance. A masterpiece of dreamy experimental pop, full of addictiveness and catharsis that makes you want to listen to it over and over again.

■Jaara has a strong connection with Hiatus Kaiyote, as Paul Bender was involved in the production and Kojima accompanied Nai Palm on their US tour in 2017 as an opening act. I would highly recommend this album to fans of Hiatus Kaiyote, including their jazz-inspired musicality.

■Track list