As the daughter of
Joao Gilberto and
Miucha, singer/songwriter
Bebel Gilberto was born into Brazilian music royalty. Hers has been a nomadic life. Born in New York City, she was raised in Brazil, Mexico, and the U.S.; she left school at 14 and has lived all over the world. That wandering spirit has informed her musical life from the beginning. Early on, she added global club and dance music into MPB and vice-versa. Her restlessness is also reflected in
Agora, her first album in six years. After 2014's
Tudo,
Gilberto felt creatively stuck; she took a long trip to Italy for inspiration. Upon her return she called longtime friend and producer
Thomas Bartlett to catch up. He invited her to stop by Reservoir Studios the next day. With no goal, their collaborative sessions netted 17 co-written tracks. Between 2018 and 2019,
Gilberto lost her best friend and both parents. She and
Bartlett subsequently worked together sporadically, adding three more cuts. At the end of the year, they culled 11 tracks from 20.
Agora translates as "now" in English, and is arguably the most electronic record
Gilberto has ever released. Informed by love, romance, grief, endings, and beginnings, it's loopy yet mature, vulnerable, and nakedly sincere. The title track, initially composed in 2008, has been thoroughly remapped by
Bartlett's attractive layers of strings, organic-sounding ambience, and bassy beats, and contains a lovely hook from the intro to
Dr. John's "I Walk on Gilded Splinters." "Cliche" was conjured on the spot in the studio.
Gilberto completely improvised its lyrics (about cliches, of course) atop multi-tracked electric pianos, celeste, electric bass, muted snares, and organ. First single "Deixa" commences with shifting Afro-Brazilian rhythms and dark, multi-tracked, and dubby horns before
Gilberto unfolds its sensual melody around the bassline as harp and marimba paint the backdrop. "Bolero" follows a crooked pathway between Cuban and Brazilian balladry, with plucked strings, claves, and piano. Its steamy mix enfolds
Gilberto's sensual melody and lyric. With its ticking, treated maraca beats, "Na Cara" adds moody electronic funk to Brazilian jazz as
Gilberto and duet partner
Mart'nali present a languid call-and-response lyric to contrast their distinct vocal qualities. The final two tracks, "O Que Nao Foi Dito" and "Teletransportador," showcase
Gilberto at her most experimental. The former is a dark-tinged processional wrapped in exotic percussion, a bossa melody, and hovering keys under
Gilberto's powerful singing. The latter is a dreamy, nocturnal ballad wrapped in lush textures, hushed vocals, percussion, and jazz piano. As a whole
Agora's ranging, sensual production provides an alluring, even beguiling, frame for this duo's sophisticated songwriting. With a laid-back pace, the album's slipstream sonic quality may require a couple of listens to fully absorb, but it's well worth the effort.
Gilberto has made a career of seeking adventure in her music, but her partnership with
Bartlett on
Agora surpasses all expectations and creative limits. ~ Thom Jurek
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