Brazilian songstress and soon-to-be your new favorite singer Ceu’s new album Tropix is a nice blend of bossa nova, electro, and lounge pop that’s like a breath of fresh air in the nasty political landscapes both here and in Brazil right now.
“Perfume Do Invisivel” is the first single, and it’s a lovely electro song that blends bossa nova beauty with club banging beats during the chorus. I’m sure it’s inspired a hundred remixes in clubs across South America and Europe by now. “Arrastarte-Ei” gets quirky with its beats, but Ceu’s voice remains a constant smooth groove throughout it. “Amor Pixelado” (“Pixelated Love”) is haunting and lovely as Ceu’s voice drifts around you like a heartbroken ghost until the computer beats drop and turn the song into something Thom Yorke probably has on an iPhone playlist.
“Varanda Suspensa” (“Suspended Balcony”) will get your hips moving with its synth horns, and the synths are even more prominent on “Etilica / Interludio” (“Ethyl / Interlude”). It’s a good track, and sounds like something the Pet Shop Boys would’ve created in the early 1990’s.
“A Menina E O Monstro” (“A Girl and a Monster”) starts with a music box and then a synth beat that sounds like a skipping record before it turns into a wonky warbled thing that is as catchy as it is bizarre. “Minhas Bics” has neat, crisp guitar that taps out the beat before the dubstep bass wanders into the room like a fat guy eyeing a buffet.
“Chico Buarque Song” is the first time I’ve heard Ceu sing in English, and it’s a stunning piece. It has a big, bold chorus, spooky synths that border on goth music, and Ceu’s voice at its sexy best. “Sangria” is a lovely ballad that I’m guessing is more about actual blood than the booze.
“Camadas” (“Layers”) is even sexier than “Sangria.” Sade wishes she had a song like this. The drums are exquisite, the bass is smooth, the synths are groovy, and Ceu’s voice is sultry. I’m fairly certain scores of Brazilians are shagging to this song even now. “A Nave Vai” has sharp funky guitar throughout it, and “Rapsodia Brasilis” has the funkiest drums on the record.
It’s a good close to this lovely album of electro-bossa nova, which should be an entire genre if you ask me.
Keep your mind open.
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