Tempo

It’s eight years since the release of Costa Félix’s last disc. Admittedly, his previous album, Fados de Amor, was a hard act to follow. But patience is rewarded, and this is another outstanding disc for fado aficionados. Things get off to a deliciously melancholic start, with ‘A Sangue Frío’ – a perfect conversation between voice and guitar (played here by Pedro Jóia). It’s beautifully balanced, subtle, full of invention, but never showy or losing touch with the emotional core of the track. Other guest instrumentalists on the album include Jon Luz on ukulele on the jaunty ‘Lisboa é Assim’ and Tiago Machado on piano in ‘Obscura Sina’, which has a feel of café chanson about it. Unquestionably, though, the great strength of the album lies in the extraordinary ensemble work between voice and guitar during tracks such as ‘Enganos’, or ‘Redondilha’ with its brisk wit. The album’s resident line-up of instrumentalists comprises Henrique Leitäo on Portuguese guitar, Miguel Ramos on classical guitar and Paulo Paz on double bass.