ALBUM REVIEW: Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges - Clube da Esquina

    I love taking in foreign genres, and of all the various sounds and styles it's typically Brazil that ends up in my system the most, mainly because their styles are so filled with texture and life. Even with the continuously timeless nature of samba and bossa nova, though, the 60s was a time of huge innovation for music around the world, and the emerging Tropicália movement was quick to take influence from the shifting landscape of music by incorporating psychedelia into popular Brazilian genres - this is where you get your Gal Costa, your Os Mutantes and your Caetano Veloso (hallowed by thy name). By the 70s, though, Tropicália was already a subsiding movement, but the outside influence of popular music remained in the DNA of many artists, including Milton Nascimento, who had already released a handful of albums in Brazil that were firmly in the MPB genre (Música popular Brasileira, or literally Brazillian popular music). On what would be his fifth studio album, though, Nascimento collaborated with relative newcomer Lô Borges to create one of the most significant works in the genre - it was Borges' debut album. Clube da Esquina is hard to me to fully dissect at points, but even with that, one thing is the naked truth - it is a bold and lovely artistic statement to come out of Brazil, and every minute of the hour-long album is rewarding.

    As a sprawling double album, Clube da Esquina has plenty to offer throughout its runtime, especially with two brilliant artists at the helm with Nascimento and Borges - it's not really necessary to split the material up between Borges and Nascimento, because not only is Nascimento the majority of the album, but they both come together for the same unified vision. By centrifuging the musical stylings and textures of Brazilian music with more contemporary pop tradition, the end result is supremely appealing to listen to - one fellow critic compared it to a fusion of Caetano Veloso and The Beatles, and I'm inclined to agree. Clube da Esquina is probably one of the most accessible albums I've heard in recent memory with its beautiful playing and composition and certain pop sensibility throughout, and you immediately notice this with tracks like the opening "Tudo Que Você Podia Ser" or the piano ballad "Um Girassol Da Cor De Seu Cabelo". It's a fluid work that carries each idea and sound logically from one to the next, be it the chamber folk of "Cais" or the psychedelic rock of "Trem De Doido" - love the guitar work on that track. The end result of the sprawling album is quite possibly one of the most lush and musically rewarding albums I've heard in recent memory.

    Not only is the entire album an adventure of sounds, but Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges are both excellent singers. It's particularly hard to pinpoint any moment above the rest, because both of them have such an incredible warmth to them, but in distinct ways - Nascimento's singing is so filled with life, and his ability is able to carry himself through the album's plethora of tuneful melodies. He's also got quite a range, displayed on moments like "Saídas e Bandeiras Nº 1" or the particularly lovely "San Vicente" and "Os Povos". Lô Borges, on account of being 10 years younger, has a certain explorative quality to his voice, as well as a youthful passion - the short "Estrelas" a great example of his experimentation. Both voices feel incredibly honest at the heart of the album, and brilliantly compliment the material on the album. Much like with other albums like El Derecho de Viva en Paz, one of my only gripes is a personal fault - I wish I understood Portuguese so that I could know what's being said here. I can only imagine the words to be as warm and beautiful as the rest of the album.

    Clube da Esquina may be a bit on the longer side, but you will be rewarded for your patience with one of the most glorious pop albums to come out of South America. Filled to the brim with lovely melodies, great hooks, and continuously shifting musical timbres and textures, Clube da Esquina is a brilliant outing from two artists at once. With it's laid-back sounds and conventional pop influence, it's very easy for anybody to find something to appreciate in this album - simply throw it on, sit back, and let yourself into the world of the club on the street corner. It will be worth your while.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Clube da Esquina.