Domenico+2

In 2001, Moreno Veloso (son of cherished Brazilian musician and tropicalismo torchbearer Caetano Veloso), along with co-conspirators Domenico and Kassin, released the first part of what would be a trilogy of albums showcasing each artist’s personal vision. Music Typewriter — released under the moniker Moreno+2 — was a grab bag of sonic experimentation, with warbling electronics and off-kilter percussive rhythms jostling for space alongside Moreno’s soft voice and reserved guitar playing. The album demonstrated the range of the trio’s diverse musical influences, while providing a very clear picture of Veloso’s individual character. Now three years later, it’s Domenico’s turn at the wheel. Sincerely Hot takes the threesome in a decidedly different direction, bounding from improvisational jazz to ’60s kitsch and back to Quiet Storm-type late-night groove, while making pit stops in the more traditional worlds of samba and bossa nova. The album’s electronic opener, "Alegria, vai lá,” has the singer spitting out lyrics almost mechanically over a looped hi-hat and bass pattern tinged with intermittent screeching siren noises, a sound entirely in contrast with the airport lounge ballad "Aeroporto 77” that follows. Domenico continues to work contrast as a theme over the course of the disc, winding through impressive trombone and Rhodes piano improvisations, distorted guitars, and charmingly simplistic lyricism in a quest to show just how sincerely hot he really is. That’s two for two, boys — bring on Kassin!