| Halo | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 5, 2017 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:30 | |||
| Label | Crammed Discs | |||
| Producer |
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| Juana Molina chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Halo | ||||
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Halo is the seventh studio album by Argentine singer-songwriter Juana Molina, released on May 5, 2017, by Crammed Discs. [1]
The title Halo is a reference to the Argentine folk legend for the will-o'-the-wisp, known as the "luz mala" (Spanish for "evil light"), which floats above the ground where bones are buried. [2] [3] [4]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10 [5] |
| Metacritic | 84/100 [6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Drowned in Sound | 10/10 [8] |
| Financial Times | [9] |
| The Guardian | [10] |
| Mixmag | 7/10 [11] |
| Mojo | [12] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10 [13] |
| PopMatters | 8/10 [14] |
| Record Collector | [15] |
| Uncut | 8/10 [16] |
Upon release, Halo received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 84, based on 13 reviews. [6] Robin Denselow from The Guardian gave the album a positive review, writing: "There are sturdy melodies on the quietly charming "Cosoco" or "Cálculos y oráculos", but even an apparently conventional song is soon transformed by her edgy and intriguing off-kilter soundscapes." [10] Drowned in Sound 's Lee Adcock gave the album the highest rating and felt that "even for Molina, who has trekked odysseys through drone and voice before, Halo marks an epiphany in the science of travel. How does one hour flow so swiftly? How do the echoes of former futures sound so fresh again, as if their waning promise of grandeur never faded?" [8]
In The Village Voice 's Pazz & Jop, an poll regarding the best albums of the year as voted by more than 400 American music critics, Halo ranked number 97 with 78 points. [17]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AllMusic | Best of 2017 | * | |
| Bandcamp Daily | The Best Albums of 2017 | 23 | |
| Drowned in Sound | Favourite Albums of 2017 | 10 | |
| The Guardian | The Best Albums of 2017 | 34 | |
| Les Inrockuptibles | Best of Musique 2017 | 51 | |
| Stereogum | 50 Best Albums of 2017 So Far | 35 | |
| Uncut | Best Releases of 2017 | 17 | |
| The Village Voice | Pazz & Jop | 97 | |
| The Vinyl Factory | 20 Best Albums of 2017 So Far | * | |
| The Wire | Best Releases of 2017 | 26 |
All tracks are written by Juana Molina
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Paraguaya" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Sin dones" | 5:41 |
| 3. | "Lentísimo halo" | 5:24 |
| 4. | "In the Lassa" | 4:39 |
| 5. | "Cosoco" | 4:58 |
| 6. | "Cálculos y oráculos" | 4:47 |
| 7. | "Los pies helados" | 5:23 |
| 8. | "A00 B01" | 4:30 |
| 9. | "Cara de espejo" | 5:03 |
| 10. | "Andó" | 3:50 |
| 11. | "Estalacticas" | 4:53 |
| 12. | "Al oeste" | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 56:30 | |
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Latin Pop Albums (Billboard) [27] | 15 |
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