Tita Lima: 11:11
Lilting rhythm guitar, trumpet solos and swirling synth bubbles on "A Conta Do Samba," the opening cut on Tita Lima's debut solo album, 11:11, sets the mood for a journey to Tropicalia. Firmly grounded in and paying homage to the classic sounds of 70's Brazilian vocal soul, jazz, samba, and bossa nova, 11:11 is more rootsy than Bebel Gilberto electro-bossa. The album's 11 tracks— consisting mainly of live instruments, classic percussion and horn arrangements—were recorded between São Paulo and L.A., with a rotating cast of seasoned veterans. Subtle touches of hip hop, reggae and programmed elements make 11:11 an unmistakably modern record.
"Catatonica" features a subtly broken Timberland-ish drum track and Brazilian funk underpinnings, while "Esquizofrevo" adds touches of beat-boxed percussion—and it actually works. "Traz Um Alivio" is dubby and ambient downtempo soul like a Portishead song, minus the bad weather.
Overall, the album is mellow and pleasurable (not easy) listening. The well-written songs are all in Portuguese, mostly penned by Lima herself, who also co-produced most of the recordings. With a nice mix of tempos and styles, and a warm sound, 11:11 is the perfect southern breeze to take the edge off the winter chill.
Listen on Amazon.
by DJ Scribe
