Caravana Sereia Bloom

Céu's first two albums established her as one of Brazil's most important new artists. Both received Grammy nominations, topped all kinds of charts and breathed new life into Brazilian music. Céu's success, like her music, has seemed effortless. It's a pattern that will surely continue with new album Caravana Sereia Bloom. Whereas her last release, Vagarosa, was undoubtedly a product of São Paulo – urban, immersive, introspective – Caravana Sereia Bloom sees Céu take to the road and head northwards, replacing samba and bossa nova with brega and guitarrada. Brega is a much more poppy style (its name originally signified tackiness), while guitarrada is an instrumental form of lambada; both reflect northern Brazil's close relationship with Caribbean music, and calypso in particular.

It all starts with the tropicalia-esque ‘Falta de Ar’, the first of six tracks that establish the album's ‘on the road’ theme. ‘Retrovisor’ uses the image of a rear-view mirror as a metaphor for looking at the past; ‘Contravento’ shares the thoughts of one looking outwards on a long journey. Brief respite from all the journeying comes in the shape of ‘Palhaco’, a waltzlike samba featuring Céu's father, Edgard Poças, on guitar. Last track, ‘Chegar Em Mim’, could be the album's hit, with a sound that's as close to the dream pop of indie acts such as The xx or Wild Beasts than anything Brazilian. The joy of Céu's career has always been the sense that she is following her muse and this continues here, on an album that manages to pursue new musical and lyrical directions while still sounding fresh, vibrant and unmistakably Céu.