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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's.... okay, actually., January 16, 2004
This is soooooooo cheesy. Yet for the life of me, I cannot tell you why but there's just something about this cd that makes the cheesiness okay! The linear notes gives you a bit of background about their roots and how they came and nearly didn't come together - which was sort of interesting.The music is very light and breezy. So many bands have a specific sound, like Les Hommes focus on the organs, Nouvelle has the clarinet and vibraphone, Nicola Conte is new bossa, etc. This group's sound is mostly guitar, slight percussion and a whoooole lot of synth. Some of the cuts that stood out to me were Boombox, Rainsong, Mosquito and Next To Me. Probably my favorite cut was actually Footsteps - it was a perfect soundtrack sort of song. Juju Stulbach does have a terrific voice. But some of the other songs aren't so impressive and the general feel of the album gives a pretty big amateur feel. Sometimes I felt like I was listening to the demo of a buddy that put together a proud product from his garage. Also, the songs are extremely short too - we're talkin' two cuts at 3 minutes, and two cuts at less than 2 minutes! But besides all that, if you dig something new, want something that's pretty happy then you may want to check this out.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brazilian twee -- a sugary, melodic treat, June 27, 2004
An absolute delight. Finding the perfect midway point between Brazilian cool and sugary indiepop twee, New York's Mosquitos feature vocals by Juju Stulbach, a Rio-born expatriate who combines the airy, insouciance of Astrud Gilberto with the flip, casual, DIY mellowness of the North American cutesy-pop crowd. There's a relaxed love of melody that suggests a debt to Yo La Tengo, as well as a simplicity and cleanness of line that brings New Zealand's The Bats to mind... Stulbach's Portuguese-language vocals are a highlight, with a fluidity and good-natured tone that should draw in any devotee of classic, roller-rinky Brazilian pop, as well as fans of BMX Bandits, Beat Happening and the whole Pacific Northwest lo-fi scene. Admittedly, the cutesy, naifish English-language lyrics of singer-guitarist Chris Root don't hold up as well to repeated listenings, but they put the record into the right context... In short, this is the perfect twee-pop album that native Brazilian indie bands have yet to create: it's lovely and dreamy, full of pretty sounds and foreign words... what's not to love?
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Debut CD, December 31, 2003
I became aware of the Mosquitos from a public radio station here in Pittsburgh, PA (WYEP). The very first time they played the song "Boombox" it put a hook in me. It's been a long time since a pop song moved me so quickly upon a first hearing that way. This band have very instinctual "pop sensibilities", no doubt about that!The Mosquitos is a joyful blend of a retro-styled Beatnick-era Jazz and modern-day urbanism. What struck me was the immediate commercial applicability of some of these numbers. There's just a "neat" feel to this sound, I can't quit reduce it to a few words or put my finger on it easily - it's slick, it's hip, it's groovy, and it's fun all at the same time in equal measure. I agree with many other reviwers that the real star on this CD is the wonderful vocal performance of Juju. She's multi-lingual and has a very timeless quality to her voice. So much so in fact, that I initially wondered if this weren't some old Tito Puente song that had been recently sampled by some slick young DJ. Juju has a very sensual, breathy voice that really makes these songs shine. It would be difficult to put an age to her just by listening alone. If you're in the mood for something different, and want something original, check out the Mosquitos. That's my recommendation.
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