Drama

"Weaving and winding through an array of beguiling rhythms, languages, and tones, Amarante's second [solo] album moves between flair and subtlety with a casual grace that feels timeless. From the melodramatic strings-meet-laugh track dichotomy of the opening instrumental to its deceptively breezy art-pop counterpart "Maré," Amarante casts a spell that remains unbroken for the album's duration. The swooning bossa nova of "Tara" gives way to the haunting clamor of "I Can't Wait," one of several English language cuts from the now Los Angeles-based singer. With its growling horn stacks, "Tao" lays down an inescapable groove and represents Drama at its most muscular. More than anything, Amarante feels like a Tropicália artist for the 21st century, artfully fusing Brazilian and Latin American traditions to progressive songwriting and arrangements that touch on pop, psychedelia, folk, and rock".

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"Album of the month" - "Dropping the needle is to glide into a sun-drenched Technicolor universe, one steeped in tradition but innovative in its unbridled spirit. Fusing a coterie of historical sounds - from African polyrhythms and Brazilian samba to cool jazz and '60s film scores - with his in-built playfulness, the singer and songwriter has created a sophisticated yet easy-going work, one that perks up the ears with its experimentation but is also romantic, magnetic and soothing, like waves brushing over a white-sand beach. Guiding the listener through it all is Amarante's gentle, silvery voice; oscillating between languages with a dancer's fluidity, it recalls the slightly nasal style of bossa nova singers".

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"Weaving and winding through an array of beguiling rhythms, languages, and tones, Amarante's second [solo] album moves between flair and subtlety with a casual grace that feels timeless. From the melodramatic strings-meet-laugh track dichotomy of the opening instrumental to its deceptively breezy art-pop counterpart "Maré," Amarante casts a spell that remains unbroken for the album's duration. The swooning bossa nova of "Tara" gives way to the haunting clamor of "I Can't Wait," one of several English language cuts from the now Los Angeles-based singer. With its growling horn stacks, "Tao" lays down an inescapable groove and represents Drama at its most muscular. More than anything, Amarante feels like a Tropicália artist for the 21st century, artfully fusing Brazilian and Latin American traditions to progressive songwriting and arrangements that touch on pop, psychedelia, folk, and rock".

Read review

"Album of the month" - "Dropping the needle is to glide into a sun-drenched Technicolor universe, one steeped in tradition but innovative in its unbridled spirit. Fusing a coterie of historical sounds - from African polyrhythms and Brazilian samba to cool jazz and '60s film scores - with his in-built playfulness, the singer and songwriter has created a sophisticated yet easy-going work, one that perks up the ears with its experimentation but is also romantic, magnetic and soothing, like waves brushing over a white-sand beach. Guiding the listener through it all is Amarante's gentle, silvery voice; oscillating between languages with a dancer's fluidity, it recalls the slightly nasal style of bossa nova singers".

Read review