Customer Reviews

Obrigado Saudade

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an infectious album: it may go over your head on the first listen, but oh! how it will grow on you, until it is on endless repeat in your head for the week (or month). A collection of moody instrumental compositions informed by diverse musical influences, 'Obrigado Saudade' is a dreamy, atmospheric aural meandering that evokes, variously, film soundtracks and architecture on grey days and whatever else the often haunting melodies conjure in your mind.

Frequently filed under 'electronica,' a genre I'm not a great fan of, Mice Parade resists categorization. As another reviewer noted, a Brazilian thread does seem to run consistently through this album -- especially pronounced on "And Still It Sits in Front of You," one of the few tracks featuring vocals (imagine Seu Jorge crooning underwater). This album is not for everyone; its charms are subtle and the repetition of certain musical signatures may irk some listeners. It's completely won me over, however: a compelling and highly original work, I can't stop listening to it.

This is the kind of "organic" electronica (using samples of real instruments) that fans of Manitoba, Four Tet, and Boards of Canada might enjoy. It has a generally mellow vibe and a Brazilian flavor, and some occasional, unobtrusive vocals. It doesn't reach out and grab you, but it does grow on you after a while. I am mainly reviewing it because there are no other good reviews on this page, so please accept my apologies for not going into more detail.

Consider a majority of this ethereal, experimental tropicalia the brilliant percussionist's acoustic album- sometimes finding profound, exotic grooves to set sail on, but also drifting in and out of underwhelming focus, with no help from some vocal-based leanings.

I'd never heard of "Mice Pardade" until recently, and I've been missing out. This is the first album of theirs I grabbed and it's a gem.