Delta Estácio Blues (studio album) by Juçara Marçal

From VictorVale 02/09/2022 20:10

Nova rainha da MPB!

From Mercury 10/14/2021 18:21

(This is a super creative and rich and unique album. It dabbles in many styles and sounds. Stunningly gorgeous and well-executed. Jucara Marcal is a treasure trove of musical creativity.)

As someone who is new to this artist, the band she is a member of that has gotten some renown over the years, and this genre and this scene, this album kind of came out of nowhere for me. This all feels and sounds fresh to me. I have been listening to this album a lot, over and over, over the last week or so. It's fantastic! And, what's more, it feels like this is a gateway record for me - a new favorite artist, scene and family of music that I can look forward to for years to come.

Now as for the music and what it sounds like, well I am not sure how to describe it. This album has many elements and sounds delivered in quick succession. There are some interesting and strange rock sounds here that are unorthodox enough to be labeled experimental while still being strong and memorable and "accessible" enough not to shake me off. There are some elements that are somewhat jazzy I suppose, cool horn sounds and interesting rhythms. I especially like the electronic elements that are laced throughout these songs, as they do spice up the sonic table. There are what I can assume are more traditional Brazilian rhythms and styles here (I am no expert - and not even remotely - of Brazilian styles or MPB or what-have-you). Etc etc, there is a lot here and the music is lush and there is layer upon layer of interesting sounds happening throughout the album. Jucara Marcal manages to make such an interesting and vibrant musical experience with this album, and while its varied and all over the place musically, it never sounds scattered or unfocused to me.

The song Ladra" is my easy early favorite. Probably because of the vocals more than anything else. That strange vocal sound like the falsetto is about to float away, it reminds me of Tommy Johnson, and Tommy Johnson is one of my favorite blues vocalists, so that is a great sound to remind me of. Also the textured industreial rhythms are excellent on "Ladra" as well.

I love these vocals throughout - they sound melodic and beautiful and rich and yet utterly in command no matter what is happening musically around them. On a track like "Crash" the vocals are almost like a rabid rap, and the rhythms and the track is so intense I could imagine a lesser vocalist not being able to stay in the pocket and maintain an air of authority with such intensity going on. But Jucara absolutely kills it here and all through the entire album.

The somewhat eerie, strange post-industrial of "Baleia" along with that mesmerizing vocal and melody mixed with that sick bass sound that sounds detached and so great, and the way it builds and intensifies, ... I love it! And that acoustic guitar and those seemingly random piano runs playing that, again, sounds detached and incompatible, it makes for a gorgeous and surreal experimental nugget.

Th sound manipulation and disorientation on "Oi, Cat" is brilliant. Love it as well. I have a similar love for the very surreal and beautiful "Corpus Christi". And of course the closing track, "Iyalode Mbé Mbé" is stunning and indescribable. I adore the opener, and I think it is a great opener - "Vi de relance a coroa" that is - becuase its instantly captivating, the vocals sound rich and gorgeous and assured, the largeness of the build up, the cold electronic beat, all adds up to a great opener. The title track is in contention with "Ladra" and the closer for my favorite song here - love the opening acoustic chords, the vocals, the pulsing rhythms, everything is great on this short track, especially the last 40 seconds. Really, I can write for a long time about all the cool little parts that make up this album and each song has probably 3 to 10 things that I think sound so fucking awesome. But suffice it to say, this is just a fascinating, amazingly creative, unique album. One of my favorites of the year and I think it is an album that at least slightly expanded my musical horizons upon discovering it.