The continuing adventures of little Carlos
John W. Warren | Santa Monica, CA USA | 06/27/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Fans of Carlinhos Brown will find ample aural fodder to delight and frustrate on his newest album. For those interested in learning about this influential Brazilian musician--who has written, produced, or played with nearly everyone in modern Brazilian music--the best bet remains his first solo disc, "Alfabetagamizado," a true classic. The new disc starts out fine with "O aroma da vida"--a fairly adventurous but melodic track, then moves in a direction alarmingly toward treacle with "Mande um email pra mim." "Everybodygente" and "Loved You Right Away" are passable, but the album kicks into its groove, finally, at track seven with "Marina dos mares," followed by the flamenco-flavored "Pedindo pra volta" and the can't-help-but-dance funk workout "Garoa." "Guaraná café", "Página futuro" and "Te amo familia" round out the collection nicely. A perpetual frustration with Brown, with the notable exception of his first solo collection, is his tendency to produce cloying, saccharine ballads. Nothing on "A Gente Ainda Nao Sonhou" approaches the quite mastery of "Argila" or "Mares de ti" on "Alfabetagamizado.""
More great Carlinhos Brown
Jane Cullen | 07/21/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My favorite of his offerings was Omelette Man but this newer one is really growing on me."