For the last three years, Valerie Trebeljahr has been quietly whittling away her very own blueprint of pop music. Her aim is to cleverly and intelligently dissect our perception of the world around us. After initial solo ventures on a four-track and contributions to the Hausmusik "Reihenhaus" 7" series as well as "The Safe Side" on Belgian label K-raa-k, Lali Puna have now become a fully fledged band, carefully selecting band members (from Console, Notwist, Tied and Tickled Trio, Iso 68, Fred is Dead) as well as infrequent collaborators (Bomb the Bass, Two Lone Swordsmen). Following last year's debut, "Tridecoder," their latest offering, "Scary World Theory," has achieved the perfect combination of pop and (personal) politics. Behind ostensibly shy, almost withdrawn vocals, Valerie is by no means coy about confronting the world's ambivalent status quo, bluntly documenting current conditions underneath putative fragility. And the music, too, demands our full attention.





Between hummable chords and sometimes soothing, almost hypnotic monotony, each repetition discloses multi-layered complexity as well as cleverly hidden counterpoints. No matter if it's atmospheric, exuding classical warmth, or quietly breathy ­-- again and again Lali Puna tear heartbreaking harmonies from the sparsest of arrangements. Produced by Mario Thaler, "Scary World Theory" is a confidently melancholic album.