Customer Reviews

Shine of Dried Electric Leaves

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Check out the pose on the CD cover. Cibelle looks every inch the beautiful formal model that she is. And she wears evening gowns in concert to heighten the effect. But here is the catch: the evening gown she wore when I saw her looked like a 1960's prom model, and she was wearing it sideways. Cibelle is definitely different.

She has a great voice, but there are as many female vocalists in Brazil with great voices as their are great football players. What sets her apart is her sense of adventure. Most of her material is, in whole or in part, way out there. A veteran of the superb Suba sessions, she has continued to develop in original and startling ways. Her music is not always easy to listen to, but it is always worth the effort. The directions her songs take are often wildly unpredictable with the most sophisticated electronic embellishments quickly followed by a glockenspiel, for instance. She likes to stretch and bend rhythms and to reinvent genres, and she is obviously quite comfortable in challenging her audience. Worth noting, she doesn't just rely on fresh, daring song writers: she co-wrote half the songs on the album.

It's not a perfect album. She does the "sex kitten" vocal thing a tad too often, and some of the English lyrics probably should have stayed in Portuguese. But both those are small quibbles. She, not Bebel Gilberto, not Maria Rita, is the most important female artist to emerge in Brazil since Maria Monte, and this CD is even better than her first solo album.

Like Bebel Gilberto, Brazilian Cibelle made her name working with the ill-fated Serbian producer Suba (both starred on his first and last album "Sao Paulo Confessions"), and Cibelle's first album explored similar electro-bossa territory.

Her second outing sees her move into a much more wobbly acoustic terrain, assisted by Mike Lindsay from folktronica duo Tunng and by the Moogy Brazilian psych-funk producer Apollo Nove.

Cibelle (pronounced `see-belly', apparently) has a similarly winsome voice to Bebel Gilberto, although she doesn't sing with such a strong Brazilian accent.

She retains some links to Brazilian music: Devendra Banhart duets on a pleasingly giggly reading of Caetano Veloso's charming "London London", "The Life Aquatic" star Seu Jorge lays down some bossa nova guitar lines on "Arręte Lâ, Menina" and there's an ambient electronic version of Tom Jobim's "Por Toda a Minha Vida".

But what really transforms this album are the idiosyncratic and distinctly un-Brazilian rhythm tracks, recorded using a Matthew Herbert-ish arsenal of kitchenware (spoons, paper cups, plastic bottles, wooden boxes, etc).

Think a Brazilian Björk and you're nearly there.

The cover of Dried Electric leaves is appropriately a collage of images, some of Cibelle herself, and the rest of disparate other items, etc. A collage on the cover is appropriate because Cibelle, like a lot of Brazilian music, is a collage of all kinds of music from everywhere. If she didn't sing in Portuguese, you'd be hard pressed to say "this is Brazilian music".

Her self titled debut from 3 years ago can probably best be described as "psychedelic pop". Here, she's still psychedelic, but the mood is much more experimental and contemplative.

The album starts with a Tom Waits song, and while I haven't put the disc in the PC (it's supposed to have more details about the recording and the people involved) to confirm it, it sure sounds like Tom Waits lends his smoky backup vocals on the track.

The inimitable Seu Jorge shows up on another song. I can't remember if Laurie Anderson helped out on Cibelle's first CD or if it was on Bebel's. At any rate, this record has a lot more of a Laurie Anderson feel than it does, say Morcheeba feel like her first record. Her first record is great summer music for the pool or beach. This one may belong more at home between the speakers late at night.

No matter what your own take is on it, Cibelle is among one of the most exciting musicians around today, be it from Brazil or anywhere else.

I was expecting a lot more from this CD after the self titled one but while this may be a worthwile buy it will take its time to work on you.

Music wise her vocals have an upbeat feel to them and go well with the music, they kind of drift along. This is a great CD to have in your car on one of those warm days driving to work in the city.

If you are looking for anything similar to Bebel Gilberto however, as I was you may be a little disappointed at first but I asure you, listen to it a few times it will grow on you.

I'm just finishing listening to this album for the fist time, and I'm definitely rating it thumbs up. It's much more interesting than what I've heard from her before. But I have to say that "Arrete la, Menina" with Seu Jorge absolutely LEAPS off this album. It's amazing. I stopped and repeated it immediately the first time it finished. Wow!

Cibelle is simply a magnificent songstress. The music is soft and undemanding, the perfect background music for any task or to be soaked in fully with absolute devotion.

I went to Tower Records, NYC about 2 hours ago to pick up another CD on sale and I happened to noticed that the World Music Section had a new Brazil stand that looked very eye catching. I went over and browsed the Listening Station and was listening to newer CDs from artists I knew when I noticed two people came by me or seperate occasions and picked up Cibelle's CD and went right to the register with it. There was literally 2 of these left on the shelf and I thought what the heck could this be, since I never heard of Cibelle and I'm very savvy to most world music.
Anyway I selected the album and the first track "Green Grass" blew me away. I thought it was too good to be true, so I let it play some more. By track two I knew I was definately going to buy this CD over what I had came in the store for. By the third track "Phoenix", tears were swelling up in my eyes. Her voice, lyrics and passion was beyond anything I've experienced since Sade's Love Deluxe CD in 1992.
I think the best way to describe her voice is a Norah Jones meets a very lite version of Bjork type of neo-jazz soul, but much more relaxed, dynamic, direct, and filled with that Brazilian Samba/Ginga stuff.
For me they are tons of great voices in the industry, but Cibelle's voice blends perfectly with the rest of the music around her the way Nina Simone, Sade or Prince created whole atmospheres with their music. Like them, Cibelle pulls you in to what she are doing and feeling and that is beautiful.
In fact, for me this is the moment when an artist becomes an artist and not just someone who is singing and dancing/entertaining, but someone who is engaging you and their art is so powerful it embraces the full range of life whether sad or happy with one note.
Cibelle's music definately embraced my desire for good music. I'm surprised most reviewers claim her previous album is much better when this one is perfect. I guess I will look forward to picking that up tommorrow.
Next to William Orbit's "Hello WaveForms" this is definately the BEST album I've bought in 2006 (and I buy about 10-15 CDs a month from all genres) and I'm only at track 8 of this album and haven't heard the remaining 6 tracks yet. So far every track is perfect and unique in it's own way.

Recommended! A++++

I bought this cd because I was really into the late brazilian producer Suba (whom Cibelle contributed vocals to on a number of tracks as the earlier reviewer had mentioned) and I saw the Seu Jorge/Devendra Banhart guest spots so I figured I would check it out and buy it on impulse. I was completely surprised actually. Right from the first track, a Tom Waits cover actually, I was really into it. The cover is really sparse and very tastefully done, and I think it's probably the best track on the album. The rest of the cd gets a little bit more experimental, using elliptical song structures and a unique blend of electronic and acoustic instrumentation. By the end of the cd, I was definitely impressed. Still, I have a sad premonition that this cd won't be marketed properly to the people who would actually really enjoy this music but never end up hearing it. Please, don't be one of those people. You won't regret getting this cd.

Cibelle returns with her signature blend of Brazilian downtempo and electronic trickery on her second album, _The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves_. Right from the plucked guitar start of the delicate "Green Grass," you know you're in for a treat. She brings poetry to her English lyrics -- listen to the rapturous "Phoenix" or quiet spoken word of "Lembra" -- and I imagine her Portugeuse vocals are just as striking. She is equally as adept at peppy pop, as well: "London London" is a burst of sunshine, while "Esplendor" is like a musical picnic. Cibelle's careful use of glitchy electronics and rock bombast delivers sonic interest. The staticky crackle on "Por Tida a Minha Vida" deepen what would have normally been a dreamy interlude, while the torch aspects of "Train Station" are tempered by the heavy guitar. The more cinematic "Cajuina" wraps up this rapturous album, one that bears repeated listens to grasp it fully.

The most important characteristic the Brazilian singers have is: multicultural sounds, faces and rhythms. Cibelle is just that. Probably that is why the Brazilian Cultura is so rich. It does not matter if it has a British accent like Cibelle has. That is what makes the country and the people happy. When she sings in Portuguese, one can feel the soul vibrating like it is in "Cajuina". She is sweet.