Helena
's
Azul
is wonderfully laid-back
bossa nova
with subtle
electronic
touches and inventive arrangements. It sounds like a companion album to
Bebel Gilberto
's modern
classic
Tanto Tempo
.
's dusky and unaffected voice floats over the shuffling tempos like the voice of a Brazilian angel. The fact that she is French (as are all the musicians, including ace French producer
Bertrand Burgalat
) makes the record even more impressive. The songs are all quite nice and perfectly evoke and inspire a quiet late-night mood (
Phillipe Katerine
wrote the music,
the words). With any justice this record will be as hyped and as popular as the
Gilberto
record. It is just as good, if not better. ~ Tim Sendra