Taking cues from classic pop production of the 70’s and 80’s, the early 4AD sound of The Cocteau Twins et al, pastoral folk, along with contemporaries such as The Knife, Saa make gloriously intricate avant-pop, as exciting as it is unclassifiable. Levitas’ high production values will come as no surprise to fans of the aforementioned Old Apparatus, and here his complex rhythm arrangements and delicate electronics perfectly support Dirdal’s layered vocals, which range from upfront and powerful to moments of choral beauty. This is music as fresh as anything else you’ll hear this year. [info from wa]