The road leading to Brazilian singer/songwriter 's first solo album was a long one. The journeyman artist began his career in the late '90s taking a sideman role in the popular Brazilian rock group and eventually emerging as the band's driving force and key songwriter. He was a member of the samba big band supergroup , recorded in America with , and then formed the indie project with drummer . But it took nearly two decades until he was ready to make his most personal artistic statement, 2014's sublime . A thoughtful and beautifully rendered blend of classic tropicalia and indie folk and rock styles, evokes the pan-global creativity of , the wry and romantic charm of , and the experimental pop meanderings of . This is a unique record by an artist who is hard to define as he jumps from Portuguese to French to English throughout songs that are moody, melancholic, and at times jaunty. From the strange beauty of opener "Nada em Vao," whose sonic bed resembles 's album, to the spare, enchanting closer "Tardei," presents a diverse but ultimately cohesive set fixated on themes of quiet solitude, exile, and discovery. Two of the most striking tracks, "Mon Nom" and "Irene," sit together in the sequence, wistfully sung and gently played on solo classical guitar through a warm, gauzy filter that best represents the overall tone of . When he does pick up the tempo, as on the "Hourglass" or the bright, tropical romp "Mana," it changes the mood enough to further flesh out 's unique personality without disrupting the album's flow. Already a well-known figure in the Brazilian pop scene, this wonderfully creative and understated solo debut ought to vault him further into international favor and critical success. ~ Timothy Monger