Alegre Menina
Impetus, 2025
8/10
The San Francisco vocalist, producer and songwriter Masha Campagne fleshes out a love letter to Brazil with these 9 detailed and cultured tracks.
The warm mood of “Bahia Com” opens with Rafael Barata’s frisky drums that suit Campagne’s elegant pipes, and “Samba Carioca” follows with Ricardo Peixoto’s cozy guitar playing amid the flowing vocals and gentle melodies.
In the middle, Julio Lemos’ 7 string guitar helps illuminate the well timed flute and Campagne’s swift singing for “Baiao de Lacan”, while “Cobra Criada” showcases grooves and rhythm via Scott Thompson’s frisky bass and some rock influences.
Arriving close to the end, “So Mad So Young” finds a dreamy place to reside thanks to Frank Martin’s meticulous keys and the poetic vocals, and “Estrada do Sol” exits with intimacy and grace that suits the mature piano and Campagne’s stirring singing which tugs on the heartstrings.
A very sincere and worldly effort, this is Campagne’s 4th studio album and it’s a passionate and jazz tinted listen that’s striking from beginning to end.
Travels well with: Maria Puga Lareo- My Universe; CeCe Gable- Love On The Tyrrhenian