First impressions are everything, and when I dove into Sofia Kourtesis’ debut album, Madres, I was blown away by its cadence and consistency that entranced me throughout all 47 minutes. It wasn’t long before I realized I had this on loop for quite some time, which is usually a plus. It isn’t like some recent electronic albums that sprouted momentous club pop hits, where it’s like having the sonic textures for the scene while carrying more depth with the narrative and becoming personal. Madres doesn’t cater to proper narrative structures and flows loosely with blissful melodies over these fantastic house beats while retaining personability. Though there is depth to the music, particularly where it comes from, Madres converges and delivers this solid wave of consciousness that won’t have you diverting as some may have been with albums by Romy, SG Lewis, and more. Madres isn’t as poppy and stays true to its house roots while venturing into different tonal textures that keep the club glowing with the dance energy alive. Beyond that, it works as this beautiful examination of an artist constantly evolving.

Opening Madres with its title song isn’t bold, but it is an intriguing pivot into something that’s going to take you down the rabbit hole instantly. Inspired by Sofia Kourtesis’ mother, it brings this sense of “home is where the heart is,” but more so, how layered the sounds are. She’s doing more than just weaving house beats with her co-producers; she’s bringing a sense of familiarity to her culture by incorporating instruments and sounds relative to it. As a Peruvian, it’s the additions that become subtle within the mold, like the use of a güiro during the build-up of the song “How Music Makes You Feel Better,” adding more to round out that sense of musical universality. Or you got the shakers in “Si Te Portas Bonito,” which adds definition to the more Latin, tropical flare of the song’s direction. It continues to show subtly—this unification of sounds that envelops them within a centralized core that makes the journey through the album much more rewarding. Whether you’re hearing some hyperactive drums creating a base that keeps the dance vibe flowing or something more internal like “Moving Houses,” and with the pacing, there is no end.

Madres is that one album this year, within its genre, to keep me engaged and surprised at every corner. It isn’t some perfect album where all its tangibles get delivered at this high degree of conscientious fortitude, where you get left guided by the vocally emotional and sonically tonal dimensions that offer something more than its surface. It has some instrumental tracks that sway from internalized vocals that make sense of what one should feel, and instead, opening up the floor for an entrenching time that leaves you juggling these fleeting moments with more attention. Listening to these instrumentals offered this distinguishable break that helps you bridge between soundscapes, like that of “Cecilia,” which smooths over some lavish synths and drum patterns—reminiscent of classic house music—before hitting you with something more lucid and commandeering.

Being more musically spirited and guided, Madres gives the listener something to grasp as they listen to the musical language that supersedes typical narrative structures where the mood stays consistent throughout a song. It’s a refreshing venture that brings some parallels to the Jessy Lanza album, Love Hallucination, where you get subjected to these spirited and, at times, instrumentally potent and vocally absent tracks that build a bridging foundation between moments that are lyrically and vocally poetic. There is a frequency to it, where its foundational set doesn’t get pushed aside for a larger sense of personability to infer the larger sense of unified understanding. As much as the music can retain more of a personal coating to the instrumental layers, its focus on cultural ingenuity while facing streamlined consciousness in the production is what continuously takes me aback with sheer positivity. Though it remains personal through varying avenues, it’s Sofia’s inclusion of Latin music that creates a beautiful, transparent wall that allows us to witness it all and engage, even when elements aren’t consistently hitting with virtuosity. For that, I commend the producers (including Sofia Kourtesis), who bring something new with each turn, like the jazziness of “Estación Esperanza.”

“Madres” and “Vajkoczy” are the two more personal tracks for Sofia Kourtesis, especially the latter, as it speaks to the doctor who saved her mother’s life during her past bout with cancer. Through the song, she notes how close the relationship was, interconnecting faith and a sense of familial protection. It isn’t so direct as there is no clear-cut narrative structure we are used to, but it’s there while this being more—chorus–bridge–chorus—and letting her sense of composure speak true to what she believes, creating a sense of wonder through the sounds getting reflected through. It makes the journey much more poignant and worthwhile, especially when it conjoins together and leaves a remarkable memory. While listening to Madres, another parallel came to me—though bare like the Jessy Lanza record I noted earlier, I was also reminded of the work by the talented duo Bomba Estero. The Colombian duo have done similar, though more so with a blend of effervescent cumbia and delivers. Like it, Sofia Kourtesis’s musical worldview is what kept me returning—even if it isn’t this fully fleshed out or a perfectionist debut, it’s something that speaks more to her heart than anything else.

Madres is fantastic. One of the more memorable albums for me this year and one I won’t stop spinning. I know I say this a lot, but more than half my days revolve around listening to music, so it’s not as hyperbolic as it seems. But as is with many house records, I’m consistently spinning them as they offer a sense of escape with the open space they play with and reflect, allowing one to get into a grand headspace to enjoy. As I sat back and listened to these different injections to the production, I felt lifted and embracing its cultural roots, expanding what we hear and advancing our own attachment to the music. I loved it a lot and hope you do as well.