Mosquitos

Manhattan trio Mosquitos could never be called just another New York band. Instead of following the influences that all other NYC bands use, they prefer to channel the spirit of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Sergio Mendes, creating wonderful Brazilian pop music that is simply irresistible. Their debut record is a bright and breezy affair that dabbles in samba and bossa nova, all anchored by the dreamy vocals of JuJu Stulbach, and to a lesser extent, Chris Root. The best songs (such as the glorious "Boombox”) could almost be "The Girl From Ipenema” for a new generation, but most aren’t quite that good. The few songs that do stray from that particular pathway sound more like a generic Teenbeat band and while they aren’t terrible, they do stand out like a sore thumb. They should definitely stick to their Southern American ways in the future. Mosquitos might not be the kind of album that could be described as essential, but there will definitely be moments in your life for which this will be the perfect soundtrack.