Working out of the mainstream of the current Brazilian music scene, the so-called MPB (Música popular brasileira), can be a bit hard on the artists that pursue some unexplored or different lines, so they often have to find someplace else to craft their art.
Rio de Janeiro composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Ricardo Dias Gomes now mainly resides in Lisbon, Portugal, and has written and recorded his latest (third) solo album Muito Sol in New York, Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro.
The reasons why Dias Gomes’ songwriting doesn’t really fit into what current MPB sound are lies in his sense and need for musical exploration, without sacrificing the musical lines he already worked on in the nineties with such a great musical innovator that is Caetano Veloso.
And while Bossa nova and Tropicalia -like melody progressions abound here (along with some great arrangement touches), like on the title track, Dias Gomes doesn’t either shy away from electronic experiments like ‘Flux’.
Yet, it is Dias Gomes’ song structures, subtle and complex guitar-playing, and quite gentle vocals that dominate this album that unveils new, intricate elements with every new play.
