Vagarosa

iTunes Review

Vagarosa is a pleasant and accessible pop affair with a number of odd touches. A variety of keyboards — mellotron, organ, electric piano — skew and color the music in intriguing ways, and samples, electronics, and horns are also well deployed. Throughout, pleasing rhythms, frequently leaning towards reggae, propel the music. The album opens with “Sobre O Amor E Seu Trabalho Silencioso,” a short piece that finds Céu nicely accompanied by cavaquinho (a four-string guitar), which soon segues into “Cangote,” a reggae-ized trip-hop track tricked out with drunken keyboards. The uptempo “Comadi” sports lovely vocal layers, horn-like keyboards, and appealingly quirky guitar. Loops play a key roll in “Nascente,” as do a pealing trumpet and scratches from DJ Marco. “Papa,” the only cut with English lyrics, brings to mind dub, cabaret, and tango. The album’s sole cover, a version of Jorge Ben’s “Rosa Menina Rosa,” features a Spanish-tinged arrangement by Los Sebozos Postizos, who serve as the backing band on the song. The closer, “Espaçonave,” is awash in Amazon rain forest sounds that serve as a nice counterpoint to a rock groove.