Rio En Medio:Frontier

This feels like a weather system blown in from another dimension, full of elemental charge and primordial jitter, an anxious haze settling upon one like fog. There's also the snap 'n' crackle of unrestricted modernity to Rio en Medio's sophomore release, Frontier (Manimal Vinyl). If her debut (here) felt out of time, this follow-up seems slightly ahead of the curve. While there are shivery echoes of Cocteau Twins, Bjork, Byrne/Eno and other quality strangers in her DNA, Rio en Medio is her own thang, blurring lines like a charcoal artist, the smudges and haze as important as the obvious outlines. A few spots, notably “The Diamond Wall," have the orchestral ache of Grecki ; a bigger compliment I cannot offer. Frontier largely ditches the folksy elements of her first album and embraces an oceanic, neon flecked hurdy-gurdy approach. This could be the music box score for some alien race or a beloved artifact of a god. There's something vaguely un-mortal about her soundscapes, which leaves us with the lingering taste of ambrosia, forbidden fruit. Elusive and unsettling, Frontiers is another wholly unique salvo from this brave new artist.