Latin (Bonus Track Version)

Canada’s Holy Fuck don’t ascribe to any theory about naming conventions, and it hasn’t seemed to hurt; they’ve been nominated for both a Juno Award and a Polaris Music Prize. Their third album, Latin, shows the instrumental group — trimmed down in size — on a clear path, one leading to innovative, airtight songs that are hugely danceable yet resist the “dance music” label.  Opener “1Md” is a slow-building tidal wave that moves from inaudible ambient sound to a vicious, static-filled crescendo, but it deftly segues into the irresistible funk of “Red Lights.” It’s a brilliant meeting of two sub-genres of electronic music, and much of Latin continues in this fusion vein: subtly majestic synths on “Latin America” feel descended from ‘70s prog rock while glistening with a new millennium energy, and “Silva & Grimes” owes a debt to Krautrockers like Neu!. “Sht Mtn” is a glorious welding of hard and soft bits into a deep, art-funk groove, and the tense post-punk of Chrome is evoked in the dark, stabbing synths of bonus track “Grease Fire.” Even if dancing isn’t exactly your thing, Latin will move you in surprising ways.