Customer Reviews

Brazilian Girls

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If Sex and the City were still being made for HBO, the sounds of Brazilian Girls would no doubt provide the background for Carrie and Co. sipping cocktails in a hip Manhattan lounge. After all, the cosmopolitan mix of Bossa Nova, trip-hop, jazz, dance, and reggae grooves almost sounds too good to play in a room by yourself...this is party music that needs to be shared, and loudly. "Homme," "Lazy Lover," and "Corner Store" are all slick-but-not-too-slick retro-lounge fare, while "Don't Stop" and "Sirenes de la Fete" come to the party only to head straight for the dancefloor. Even the offputting title "Pu**y" leads you to the sunniest, catchiest of tracks that will no doubt be blaring over countless pool parties this summer. What seals the deal is the revelation that while they apparently have many musical influences, Brazilian Girls' ambrosia still sounds like virtually no one else on the current music scene. American mainstream radio will probably never be hip enough to spin something so unique, but a faithful cult following is surely beginning to form. If you ever need a definition of "cool," forget the dictionary and check this out instead.

You are on a business trip in Europe. After the meeting, you head to a club and meet a woman too alluring to ignore. She's the dangerous type...long legs and exotic features, fluent in several languages with a free-floating intellect. The kind of woman with an insatiable sex drive ("Don't Stop," "Pussy"), who will run out at 3:00AM for ice cream only to get waylaid by street musicians ("Corner Market"), who comes back to give you life advice ("Long"), quote Pablo Neruda ("Me Gustas Cuando Callas"), and make you dance in your hotel room ("Dance Until the Morning Sun"). And then she'll be gone in the morning ("Ships in the Night").

The musical soundtrack to this affair: a little Electro and House, a little reggae, touches of Esquivel-like lounge, and the spices of Bahia and Rio. Stewed like a femme-fatale version of Soul Coughing, and a little like Howie B's "Suck It and See" imaginary porn. Lo'Jo's errant daughter.

Tasty, risky, unforgettable. How can you resist?

Ok, so, picture the ultimate club/party/event that you want to be at. The one with the most attractive people, the best booze, and just a high level of overall excellence. This is the music that's playing at that party. Sorry, just had to get that off my chest...Brazilian Girls remind of a little bit of Portishead but more worldly and without the incessant depression. The term "Trip-hop" definitely springs to mind but there's more to this record than just that. I'm no expert, but I hear some reggae influence as well as other types of "World" music (for lack of a better term) that I can't pinpoint. The combination of live bass and drums and programmed beats result in tracks that are both sultry and fun and the laid back, breathy vocals are just beautiful and perfect. This band also posesses a toungue-in-cheek seductive quality and a sense of humor (see tracks "Pussy" and "Lazy Lover"). This cd makes me happy when I listen to it. If this band doesn't blow up huge than I don't know anything.

There is no need to hit the skip or shuffle button on your player when listening to this perfect "lounge" album. Usually most c.d's have that one annoying song that just knocks the flow of an album out of rhythm. You know what I mean. "Brazilian Girls" has that unyielding groove that most legendary albums obtain. This album is very unique, almost too unique to compare it to other groups. I have yet to hear another band that can make bossa nova sound "edgy" without totally slaughtering it's integrity. It does have some Portishead like qualities, it's just not a fair comparisson. Brazilain Girls' sound is like if Ian Pooley and Esquivel had a child, weened by Poe, who grows up listening to Cafe Tacuba and Sublime in France. !!! I know... it's a crazy discription but the most apropriate in my opinion. Anyways, check it out. You won't be disappointed.

This is, in my opinion, the record of the year (2005).

There is not a bad track on this recording. The hit single "LAZY LOVER" is my least favorite of all the tunes. I believe this band is one of the smartest, most talented to come around for quite some time. Bands of this unique presence brings to mind Wilco, SoulIISoul, The White Stripes, Kinky, Outkast, Brand New Heavies, DMB, Cake & Mofro.

Multi-lingual, hybrid-genre musical landscapes overflow on this wonderful CD. Chill tunes for cocktails and conversations & throbbing dance tunes to get the blood flowing. Sharp wit tunes begging for you to pick apart and try to 'get it' - tunes like "Pussy" - so memorable but you're not sure why. A nice change from the norm. I'm sure there will be many imitators.

Let's just hope they can do it again!!

Wow, this is one great little confection for the ear! So funky, sophisticated and sexy. I had put off purchasing this one for some time, but am so glad that I finally got around to it. While I'm definitely not completely blown away by this, I still really like what I hear for the most part.

The album starts out with a familiar track, "Homme", which any of you who own the Wax Poetic album Nublu Sessions will immediately recognize. It then goes into one of my personal favorite tracks off the album, "Don't Stop". It's a nice mid-tempo dance-y number, yet feels very mellow and laid back. The vocals have a nice hazy, languid, spoken quality that pulls you in and under their spell. This is pretty much true of the vocals provided on the album by Sabina Sciubba throughout.

Other standout tracks imo include "Lazy Lover", "Pussy" (with it's giggle-inducing chorus of "pussy, pussy, pussy, marijuana"), "Dance Till the Morning", "Me Gustas Cuando Callas", and "Ships In the Night". There were a few tracks that didn't do a whole lot for me, but even those were completely listenable. Great for a lazy weekend or for that funky little dinner party, as long as your guests aren't easily offended by what I would call somewhat progressive lyrics on a few of the tracks. This is nice stuff, give it a listen.

Whatever your mood may be at any moment, put this CD on and you'll find yourself that much happier than before. Brazilian Girls, a tongue in cheek name for a band, revels in funk, dance, electronic and lounge music, gliding through from one genre to another effortlessly.

If you have heard Don't Stop, you are only at the beginning. In fact, Don't Stop with its funky electronic beats and naughty lyrics is almost as uncharacteristic of this self-titled debut as it can be. You will be bowled over by the breezy lounge of All We Have, Ships In The Night and Me Gustas Cuando Callas or the incessant funk of Pussy and Die Gedanken Sind Frei (Thoughts Are Free).

As for me, this is one CDthat I have been playing from start to end as if it's a daily ritual for me. Best of 2005, definitely.

The name of ths band and the track 'Pussy' can provoke, but skip all that. This is a great band and a great CD. What a debut! I expect great things from the Girls. I just hope success doesn't change this wonderful chemistry. You know, Sabina gets a big head and goes solo...blah blah blah.

Three word review: Buy this disc.

I love this album. Very sensuous, but at the same time smart and not so compliant. I don't understand the offense of p***y by some - I hear more offensive tripe on the top twenty and I think this is more of a college-bar sing-along-song anyway so take it in context.

I would see this band live if I could.

Overall the vocals are instruments, not just vocals. The percussion and some of the synchopation is just plain elegant to the ear.

I only heard of the Brazilian Girls a few days ago and, am I glad I did. I'm not big on writing flowery reviews. But, all I can say is, this might be one of my favorite cds of all times. The mood this cd gives off is so much more than sexy... "Homme" draws you in from the first note. Every song after that is as good as the one before it. If you're in to a good time and good music with a lot of sensuality, go for it. I'm recommending this cd to everyone I know. Like I said "WOW"!!!!