Mothermary

★★★★ I Am Your God ITALIANS DO IT BETTER. CD/DL/LP

Mormon-raised siblings with divinely profane synth-pop.

Mothermary’s origin story is a cathartic tale of personal trauma alchemised into pop triumph. The youngest of nearly a dozen children, Larena and Elyse Winn were subjected to the patriarchal scriptures of Mormonism from girlhood, brainwashed into believing themselves to be second-class citizens. Elyse escaped their native Montana first, fleeing to New York and schooling herself in electronic production. Twin sister Larena followed, the pair exploring their aesthetic via “sacrilegious ritual” live shows and provocatively bloodsoaked videos, while crafting an artful, sonically poised debut. I Am Your God is stacked with neon noir earworms that coolly denounce churchy hypocrisy (Catch Fire) and exult in self-affirming sexuality (Coming For You). They also pay tribute to spiritual ancestor Madonna with a serene take on Like A Prayer, the Sistine Chapel of blasphemous dancefloor bangers rendered as a blissed-out ode to newly found freedom.