As Palavras, Vol 1 and 2

The city of Rio de Janeiro oozes out of the rhythms and words of this double album by Latin Grammy-nominated Rubel Brisolla (who goes more simply as Rubel), his third album combining the funk boom bap of the tamborzão, samba choruses and the solid grooves of Rio, it’s all here in this genre-jumping mixtape. An orchestral overture opens, signalling Rubel’s ambition for this project; ‘Não Vou Reclamar de Deus’ takes us back to the sublime 70s bailes, while the ease with which Rubel mixes genres is demonstrated on ‘Posso Dizer’, skipping from melodic samba to carioca funk seamlessly. ‘Toda Beleza (Pelos Lorinhos)’ features the voices of Bala Desejo in an intimate piece of MPB, and ‘As Palavras’ with Tim Bernardes is minimalism which actually underlines the soulfulness of his singing. Does Bernardes ever run out of great tunes? The multifaceted ‘Torto Arado’, features Liniker and Luedji Luna who voice the different narrators from the titular book by Itamar Vieira Junior (published in the UK as Crooked Plow), which examines race and servitude in modern Brazil. Further on, there’s a carnivalesque marchina, followed by samba with a twist of jazz bass, batidão and even distant blues backing vocals. The constant skipping on As Palavras, Vol 1 and 2 shows a hyperactive talent and the album works best when Rubel’s wide-ranging versatility brings everything together.