APKÁ!
Six Degrees, 2020
9/10
The Latin Grammy Winner Céu returns with her 5th album, and this time the Sao Paulo artist offers a minimalist adventure, where esteemed contributors like Hervé Salters, Pedro Sá, and Lucas Martins, among others, contribute to the soulful, dance friendly environment.
“Off (Sad Siri)” starts the listen with mesmerizing percussion as soulful and expressive vocal harmonies guide the bare but still rich landscape of guitars and synth, and “Coreto” continues the creativeness with a snappy delivery and electronic quality that embraces beats and grooves as Ceu’s strong vocals show much range.
Further along, “Pardo” is not short on melody as the sophisticated yet playful climate draws us in with Seu Jorge’s deep pipes, while “Nada Irreal” moves gently with warm keys and bright instrumentation including staccato guitar. “Make Sure Your Head Is Above”, an English sung tune, is one of the best selections, and offers both elegant and sweet textures that builds into a more tense display of unparalleled skill.
At the end, “Ocitocina (Charged)” is a downtempo track with much attention to mood in its soaring, groove friendly execution, and “Eye Contact”, with Tropkillaz, exits the listen with a healthy amount of electronica in the glitchy, throwback climate.
A very diverse record that spans many different ideas related to Céu’s Brazilian heritage, whether she’s playing loud and rock influenced or delicate with pop textures, APKÁ! is a listen beaming with innovation and radiance.
Travels well with: Bossacucanova And Roberto Menescal- Bossa Got The Blues; Meklit- When The People Move The Music Moves Too