Isopor

Album Review

The fifth album from the band Pato Fu is heavily influenced by Japanese aesthetics; the partnership with the producer Dudu Marote, which had begun with the previous album Televisão de Cachorro, was responsible for the trendy tech sonority of this one, the heaviest electronic of them all. The photos on the inlay and cover, and the sonority itself, draw upon the ascendency of Fernanda Takai, leader of the group. The opening track "Made in Japan" is shamelessly inspired by the Japanese duo Pizzicatto Five. Takai's husband, guitarist/composer John Takai, wrote the lyrics, which are reminiscent of a Godzilla movie dealing with tech revenge. They were translated into Japanese and sung by Fernanda in the album. Several of the tracks have Björk-ish elements and influences, including "Isopor," "Saudade," and "Um Ponto Oito," a sad hit-and-run history of a poor guy. "Imperfeito" brings elements of Jovem Guarda and surf music. "Perdendo Dentes" is a pop ballad. "Quase" explicits the central reference of Os Mutantes in the group's sound. "O Filho Predileto do Rajneesh" brings the influence of the Swedish pop band The Cardigans in the choir and a ferocious feminist discourse. The album reunites love, humor, electronics, in a competent pop/rock release flooded with influences from multiple sources.