Cibelle

Straying from the samba/MPB with light electronic sounds that characterised her debut album, London-based, São Paulo-born Cibelle instead plays with acoustic, psychedelic sounds and folkier music on her second album, The Shrine of Dried Electric Leaves. A very quiet affair, many of the tunes are delicately plucked guitar and sparse piano and flute mixed with interesting electronic processing noises and children’s toys. Through her lyrics — a mix between Portuguese and English — Cibelle displays the many intricate details of living in the city and reflecting on love while waiting for a train and a fascination it seems, with escapism, as evident on songs like "Phoenix” and "Flying High.” Many interesting covers also abound from a Feist-like take on Tom Waits’ "Green Grass,” to roping in psych-folk hippie Devendra Banhart for a stirring rendition of Caetano Veloso’s famed song of living in exile "London, London,” which ends in a mess of electronic frequencies. Although Seu Jorge turns up on "Arrête là Menina” and Brazilian producer Apollo Nove deserves great credit for his nicely crafted production work, this album is essentially Cibelle and her intricate gift for storytelling that prove she is a young, unique talent who won’t be pin-pointed.