Rita Braga: Unlawful Planet

(Comets Coming – an imprint of Groovie Data)

LP|DL

Launched eighth September 2023

Pre-order on Bandcamp

On the floor, Unlawful Planet is a dreamy pop-noir delight that’s unimaginable enjoyable. However it’s underpinned by some critical messages. Portugal’s Rita Braga returns along with her most interesting album thus far and spawns an entire new style: Storage-Latin. Louder Than Battle’s Gordon Rutherford evaluations.

A faraway saxophone wails desolately. “Did Rita name or not?” calls for a voice. It’s met with the retort, “No. And to your personal good you higher stop fascinated with Rita”. Stop? Hell, we’ve solely simply begun. Delivered like a piece of dialogue from the golden age of Hollywood, that’s how we’re launched to Rita Braga’s newest album, Unlawful Planet. It’s a signpost, informing us exactly the place we’re going for the following half an hour. That is noir. Pop-noir.

Inside seconds, the primary few bars of the opening title monitor are seductively snaking their approach out of the audio system; the bewitching double bass of Henrique Fernandes prowling everywhere in the joint. Instantaneously, we’re transported to a world much like the one which exists within the thoughts of the good auteur, David Lynch. Contemplate the enigmatic pink room from Twin Peaks; Unlawful Planet is its excellent theme tune. Regardless of its austerity, or maybe due to it, there’s a sense of menace, an edginess, to it. Shut your eyes and the tune leads you to that extradimensional world; a spot the place unusual little guys throw shapes in essentially the most disturbing method, while the city’s sweetheart (RIP) transmits glossolalia in your ear.

Such is Unlawful Planet, Braga’s fourth full-length album. Standing other than the herd, it’s removed from run-of-the-mill and if there’s any justice on this planet, this would be the launch that brings the Portuguese singer and multi-instrumentalist firmly to the eye of UK audiences. Impressed by her ardour for early jazz and the golden age of Hollywood, Unlawful Planet is a brief, extremely gratifying assortment of dreamy, Latin-flecked, eccentric pop. Populated by easy (however not simplistic), virtually minimalist, tunes, it has one thing of a lo-fi really feel to it. Moreover, while lots of the rhythms could also be Latin, Braga’s music feels extra homespun than that style ordinarily is. In actual fact, it’s fairly potential that Braga has invented her personal style: Storage-Latin.

The best instance of this newly created classification is the enchanting Flores Indegestas (which interprets as inedible flowers). Transporting you deep into the guts of the Amazon, the track begins with the Tamborim of a key Braga collaborator, Luís Bittencourt. Seconds later, I swear you’ll be satisfied {that a} monkey has joined you within the room. The impact is created by Bittencourt’s Cuíca, a Brazilian friction drum which, not like typical percussion, is scraped versus struck, creating that simian sound impact. Braga’s ukulele brings the melody while the supremely versatile Bittencourt provides a rhythmic marimba. When mixed, the result’s a heady brew of bizarre sounds that mix to create one thing particular. Most placing, is the way in which that Braga creates one thing out of little or no to color vivid footage within the minds of the listener.

Braga’s music, all through Unlawful Planet, is extremely evocative. She has a capability to jot down compositions that really feel like miniature film scenes. Musical devices act as paintbrushes; visible stimulation from notation. Following the Lynchian pink room affect of the opening title monitor comes Spooky Mambo, which, because the title implies, is each spooky and, you guessed it, a mambo. It feels awfully like a pastiche, nevertheless it’s inconceivably gratifying. Because of the kitsch, hammer horror vibe supplied by a mixture of Bittencourt’s waterphone and e-bow guitar, we’re, as soon as once more, transported to a film set; watching the photographs unfold earlier than our thoughts’s eye.

Consistent with the general vibe of Unlawful Planet, Spooky Mambo is extremely tongue-in-cheek. Braga is clearly an artist who doesn’t take herself too severely and, due to that, she has created an file whose grooves are coursing with the elixir of life itself. Zesty and zingy, with a character as large as a (authorized) planet, it’s an album that may put a smile in your face and, God is aware of, we might all do with that. Take the delightfully cheeky second on the album’s shut. That last monitor, Unclassified, confirms what we now have already recognised, when it stresses that “this file stays unclassified” earlier than happening to complete with the traces, “Please don’t neglect/to hit subscribe/to my YouTube channel/that’s…why I’m alive”. Saucy.

That sheer sense of enjoyable can be evident on the playful, Cecile McLorin Salvant-like, Chien Mystérieux, while Pony is a tune that, at first look, appears to be a paean to the fun of My Little Pony. A lot of the above could give the impression that Unlawful Planet is a tad throwaway; somewhat bit light-weight. It’s not. There are layers to this album; critical messages that subtly make a degree beneath the entertaining razzle-dazzle. Nearer listening to the aforementioned Pony will present you that that is greater than a ditty a couple of youngster’s toy. While sounding fairly gleeful, the eponymous pony takes a second to remind us that it might appear to be galloping merrily within the park, however “nobody is aware of what’s on my thoughts”. Moreover, there’s an ecological commentary when the horse reminds us that it’s “made out of plastic, now that ain’t too honest/little women wish to comb my tail/and I depart fairly a path”.

Environmental considerations are additionally raised on the good, Tom Waits like, Ikea Snow. “The planet is now hotter than ever…it appears like being inside a lava lamp”, Braga observes. She does this with finesse, injecting protest traces into her songs observationally, with out ranting. In a approach, her strategy is definitely extra highly effective. World warming isn’t all that’s on her thoughts in Ikea Snow, as she additionally finds area to bemoan the rise of commercialism. It’s fairly the achievement to cram that into two and a half minutes. However that’s not all, as a result of, once more, Ikea Snow delivers a fairly pleasant distinction as these lyrics are delivered atop a composition that’s evocative of the halcyon days of the circus and fairgrounds. As soon as once more, the collaborators, Gustavo Costa on drums and Nik Phelps on saxophone, are vital in creating the vibe.

All of those features mix to create one thing bewitching. Braga is one thing of an alchemist, crafting one thing that, on the floor is comparatively easy and enjoyable, however in actuality is a lot extra. Unlawful Planet is a compelling hear and infrequently will half an hour go so swiftly. We higher stop fascinated with Rita? Not an opportunity, buddy.

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Rita Braga’s web site is right here. She can be on Instagram and Fb.

Comets Coming/Groovie Data may be discovered right here. They’re additionally on Fb.

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All phrases by Gordon Rutherford. Extra writing by Gordon may be present in his archive.

Gordon can be on twitter as @R11Gordon and has a web site right here: https://thedarkflux.com