Benji & Rita

Benji Kaplan and Rita Figueiredo's first album as a duo is a curious, avant-garde mish-mash. For the most part, the pair have created an album of complexity and beauty, demanding the listener's attention and concentration. Their meandering, detailed arrangements, guided by Figueiredo's theatrical vocals, take listeners on a journey across a psychedelic, technicolour Brazil, picking up a wide range of influences from across this vast country, from tropicália to baião through to contemporary art music and old marchinhas. The Hermeto Pascoal-esque organised chaos and long, through-composed sections deftly showcase the virtuosity of the musicians involved, especially the delicate string and woodwind arrangements of the opening track, ‘São Franciso é Brasileiro’. But the angular melodies, dissonant harmonies and incessant experimentalism in general threatens to veer into self-indulgence from time to time. Therefore, although complex in themselves, the rare tracks that showcase the duo alone on guitar and vocals, such as ‘Valsa da Metrópole’, can feel like a welcome relief.

The poetic lyrics, written by Figueiredo, are worth reading. An informative and beautifully designed sleeve features the Portuguese lyrics, plus English translations and useful contextual explanations.