2020, Part 2

ÀIYÉ, Gratitrevas EP – Larissa Conforto drummed for the pretty good prog-rock band Ventre, but after their breakup she’s headed to the dance floor. Which only seems strange if you haven’t been paying attention to how post-psychedelic experimentation wormed its way from funk into hip hop and then dance music. Here her tricky rhythm sense bubbles and pops through swirling electronic sounds while she mumbles, sings and declaims over, under and around the noise. The commitment to dance music—OK, post-dance sonic sculptures—keeps the music grounded in forward motion so that the busyness never derails the pleasure. Lyrics have proved elusive, but interviews and reviews indicate that she album works through the pain of her band’s breakup, the despair of Bolsonaro-era Brazilian politics and a temporary escape to Lisbon to find some hope in the darkness. You know what? You sure as heck can hear that possibility in music that flows through dark moods and to push beyond them. You can listen to and buy her record here. Grade: B+

Emanuelle Araújo, Quero Viver Sem Grilo – uma Viagem a Jards Macalé – Actress, rocker, traditionalist, pop star: Araújo flits where her performative desires lead regardless of any aesthetic incoherence that results. Here she not only tackles the tribute albums that are such a part of Brazilian music, but dares to pick the songs of “maldito” (cursed, or commercially marginalized) artist Jards Macalé. Her moody, bluesy, rock-ish takes on his music move the cult figure’s art mainstream without losing the oddness that makes him one of the heroes of the current alt-samba scene. As far as tribute albums go, Araújo finds a nice medium between honoring the source and making the music her own. You can find links to hear or buy her album here. Grade: B

Boogarins, Manchaca Vol. 1 – In 2016 while in Austin, Texas, to promote 2015’s Manual, Boogarins decided to rent a place in the city on Manchaca Road where they began to hammer out ideas that would become their next two albums. What better time than a pandemic to revisit the storage room to see what spare tracks you’ve got to boost the revenue steams that dried up as touring shut down? Some of these tracks were previously cleaned up for official releases, others were the basis of later tracks, some just sat there, and some of those are nice to hear. The guitar is beautiful as usual. But even a fan such as I can’t imagine pulling this out for anything but research. So I’m glad to have “Cães do Odio”, find the rest passable enough, and will likely never listen to the whole again because redundancy. So caveat emptor. Listen and buy here. Grade: C-

Luiza Brina, Deriva EP – A huge relief after the disappointing Tenho Saudade Mas Já Passou, Brina takes advantage of her interrupted touring schedule to do some socially distanced recording for therapy and, one hopes, profit. Closer to her terrific 2017 album Tão Tá, she recaptures the moods and instrumentation that sell her music. Collaborating with friends and people she admires, Brina played most of the instruments while inviting collaborators to contribute or co-write songs. Tops is “Oração”, where Josyara’s additional guitar sparks with Brina’s own prickly style. Listen here. Grade: B

Gilberto Gil and BaianaSystem, Gil Baiana ao Vivo em Salvador – Legend and possible future legends get together for show, which given their rhythmic proclivities sounds promising. Maybe you had to be there. Grade: C

Josyara and Giovani Cidreira, Estreite – Following the breakthrough success of her second album, Josyara has become an in-demand collaborator. Teaming for a full record with Giovani Cidreira on Estreite, the two artists struggle at times to combine her electrifying guitar work and his pop electronic frippery. Basically, the more the songs resemble her solo stuff, the better they are, while the ones that are closer to Cidreira’s albums remind me why I never connected with him. Kinda wish she’d re-record the ‘her’ tracks for a solo album. You can hear it here. Grade: C

Fabiano do Nascimento, Prelúdio – Bouncing back from the disappointing  sophomore effort, Nascimento returns to what made Dança dos Tempos such a compelling listen. Gone are the fusion touches and the self-conscious efforts to make beautiful music, and instead he just makes…beautiful music. His classical Brazilian guitar and drummer Ricardo “Tiki” Pasillas’s accompaniment dazzle as usual, but, also as usual, the chops serve a musical purpose other than just showing off. Tasty without being merely tasteful. If there’s a problem here it’s that he returns to his past triumph rather than deepening or extending it. Still, a career of albums this good would be quite an achievement, even if a career of albums as good as Dança dos Tempos would be preferable. But in 2020 you take the good and the beautiful wherever you can get it. In this kind of context that’s fricking protest music. You can buy and hear the album here. Grade: B+

Obinrin Trio, Origem – Formed when sisters Lana and Raíssa Lopes and friend Elis Menezes decided to make a go at a musical career during carnival in 2016, this vocal trio nods to Africa with their name (obinrin = Yoruba for woman) and music that weaves together Afro-Brazilian rhythms with MPB influences refracted through collaboration with some of the current generation’s leading lights (Josyara, Kiko Dinucci, Maria Beraldo). Having built their reputation with touring, they leveraged that for this crowdfunded debut. Struggling with finding hope in a Covid-19 wracked Brazil, they mourn the dead and curse their national politics (“Cidade Dorme”, the city sleeps), imagine revolution (“Solidão Vira Revolta”, solitude turns to revolt), and confront their fear (“Medo”), while finding sustenance in intimacy (“Aquele Gingado”) and power in silence (“Silêncio”). The mostly acoustic guitars waft over gentle beats or bounce off bursting polyrhythms. Sometimes the music approaches merely pretty—and it is!—but mostly it’s haunting, enchanted, gorgeous. The heart of it all is their three voices with tight harmony and unison singing selling the emotions the words and music put forward. A real find. Listen here. Grade: A-

SHORT NOTES

Tatá Aeroplano – Lead singer and founder of Cérebro Eletrônico, Aeroplano traffics in solid if unspectacular Paulista alt-rock that translates the vanguarda Paulistana’s oddball music into a more mainstream product. Nothing wrong here, and if I understood Portuguese maybe I’d like it more. As is, I can think of more exciting Brazilians to listen to and English-speaking acts that can satisfy ’90s alt hankerings where I can follow the words. It’s not you Tatá; it’s me. Well, it’s mostly me.