[.ca] Momento (Brazil)

Sensual delivery.:
Drawing you in as soon as the title track starts, Bebel's third album is delicate and soulful. Her voice is magical and showcases subtle yet powerful emotions - even though you may not understand the Portuguese. The two remix EPs of the track "Bring Back The Love" demonstrate that the fusion of Bossa Nova and electronica is one of the most natural musical marriages - sensual rhythms fired up by subtle beats. Gilberto also switches between Portuguese and English in a heartbeat, making run-of-the-mill ballads such as "Close To You" sound more exotic than perhaps the song deserves. Her take on "Night And Day" is charming but brings little new to the song, and there is a whiff of corporate safety stifling her artistic potential. "Tranquilo" is more exuberantly like it, and "Cade Voce" has more character.

Another major triumph for Bebel !:
The undisputed queen of new Brazilian music, returns with her third album "Momento" in suitably beautiful fashion. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, London and New York, the album is a shimmering piece of laidback songwriting that sits comfortably between the electronic simplicity of her debut Tanto Tempo" and the acoustic sophistication of her eponymous sophomore effort. From opening track "Momento", it's an extremely relaxing listen, beautifully steered by Gilberto's soothing vocal style and keen ear for a melody. But it's also capable of delivering good on the odd risky moment. A cover version of Cole Porter's "Night And Day" might have been easy to get wrong; but is made all the more intimate by Gilberto's breathy delivery. While the presence of Guy Sigsworth (of Bjork, Madonna and Frou Frou/Imogen Heap fame) ensures the album also retains a distinctly mainstream appeal that's capable of broadening her appeal. Highlights, of which there are many, include "Bring Back The Love", which blends bossa and electronica to seemless effect, C"lose To You", which drops a nice Oriental flavour late on and sounds like a Tracey Thorn offering, and "Cacada", a song penned by her uncle Chico Buarque, which offers a more upbeat vibe and includes some wonderful flute. Another favourite "Tranquilo" was recorded with Orquestra Imperial (the big band founded around three young men who count arguably among Brazil's most inventive musicians/producers: Kassin, Moreno Veloso and Domenico) and genuinely succeeds in recapturing the magic of Rio at the height of a warm summer's evening. "Um Segundo" also seduces with its lush vocal layering and playful quality, while "Words" closes things out in suitably beautiful fashion by setting Gilberto's breathy delivery against a lonesome acoustic guitar. It's a lovely finish to a quietly intoxicating listen that marks another major triumph for Gilberto. \o...\c.

• Momento
• Bring Back the Love - Brazilian Girls, Bebel Gilberto
• Close to You
• Os Novos Yorkinos
• Azul
• Caçada
• Night and Day
• Tranquilo - Bebel Gilberto, Orquestra Imperial
• Um Segundo
• Cadê Você?
• Words