Cutting through dissonant MPB grooves and psychedelic weirdness, the avant-garde Luaka Bop release Estudando o Pagode, by Tropicália oddball Tom Zé, brims with striking eccentricity. This 16-track opus about intercouple inequalities hilariously and cleverly follows the relationships of common and supernatural people with quirky stories about machismo (the grunting, stripped-down “Mulher Navio Negreiro”), desire (the bossa nova, piano-laced “Prazer Carnal”), and mundane altercations (the operatic vocal chops of deranged “Duas Opiniões”). The more bizarre it becomes—with its unruly, flamboyant textures—the more charming it gets.