Acid XAcid X
Uma Geral (ST2 Music 50036)
Acid X started life as a Beatles cover band in Rio clubs. And they continue
their love affair with British music in their new incarnation by drawing
inspiration from the Acid Jazz style that spawned bands like Jamiroquai and the
Brand New Heavies.
The music here is not as overtly jazz-funky as ‘Emergency on Planet Earth’ or
‘Dream on Dreamer’. Most of these are straightforward pop songs garnished with a
sprinkle of jazzy trumpet or violin and delivered by Helena Cutter’s sensual and
quintessentially Rio de Janeiro voice, which floats effortlessly through the
catchy verses and choruses and over the staccato rhythms.
The title track is
typical – opening with rhythm guitar and keyboards reminiscent of Los Amigos
Invisibles before drifting into a predictable but pleasant round of verses and
choruses over a danceable backdrop. Tracks like ‘Na Estrada’ are
written to the same formula, whilst ‘Angel y Demonio’ and ‘Ouvindo Orixas’ are
sung in Spanish and with their homages to DLG style salsa rap and trip hop are
presumably aimed at the Latin club scene.
This is the band’s first release. Although it is largely a pot pourri of the
cool and sellable, tracks like ‘Dicionário’ and ‘Schultznietsin is Down’ suggest
that Acid X have the potential to develop into an exciting band; perhaps the
first to fuse tight jazz funk with the smooth contemporary Rio sound typified by
Marisa Monte. Even if they fail to do so they deserve to be
bought in large quantities.
World Music Central
http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20040708091310146