Bebel Gilberto

In 2001, Bebel Gilberto released her acclaimed fusion of mellow Braziltronica and firmly cemented herself as the queen of said genre. The album spawned a number of like-minded impersonators on an array of boring compilations and thus, possibly as a reaction, Gilberto retreated and released her more acoustic-laden, yet uneven, self-titled album in 2004. With her latest, Momento, she returns to the warm electronic textures while mining the musical roots of her native Brazil, almost taking small steps into Marissa Monte territory. Musically, the album jumps around from the dreamy keyboards and lightly picked acoustic guitar of "Momento” to "Bring Back the Love,” a nocturnal, club-worthy collaboration with the Brazilian Girls. Her best songs however, are when she wades into new musical territory for herself with a cover of a Chico Buarque song, "Caçada,” which adds a very organic Forró element with flutes and enticing Zabumba drums. A cover of Cole Porter’s "Night and Day” emphasises Gilberto’s best talent — her stunning voice — and a meandering saxophone solo adds a warm touch. Momento is a very natural progression for Gilberto that should welcome back fans that may have been lost on her previous attempt. At the least, it firmly finds her stepping out from under the shadow of her father.