Maria Minerva: Selections from Noble Savage and Tallinn at Dawn.

Maria Minerva: Selections from Noble Savage and Tallinn at Dawn.

Arresting and ethereal, Tallinn’s “California Scheming” caught on fast, causing fans to lust after two albums that had already almost sold out– both of which are great. The songs are introspective but accessible, packaged with infectious dance loops (“Disko Bliss,” “A Little Lonely,” “Strange Things Are Happening In My Room”), entrancing synths (“Unchain My Heart,” “Other Side”), and lush, layered vocals (“Hagasuxzzavol,” “Hop Hop Gone In Spring”). Her songs are soft, guided by flow rather than form. At times, Minerva’s dismissal of firm structure can feel liberating, but it also comes off as a little amatueurish, her musings having calcified prematurely. (altered zones)