Quero Saber

An intriguing fusion of Brazilian music and American pop/electronica, this album from Carla Hassett presents a number of angles, but none of them in an entirely satisfactory manner. Quero Saber is primarily pop music with a bent toward the exotic. That isn't to say that the touch of the exotic isn't desirable. When Hassett is in the depths of a good bossa nova or a straightforward samba (as she is on "Mulato Casado"), the sound is excellent. Her samba whistles, basslines, and guitar work are all flawless. It's when she gets deeper into the more poppy end of things that it falls apart a bit — her voice is sultry and beautiful, but strains to keep up with the faster beats. Her electronica is well formed, but comes across at some level as mimicking the mid-'90s groups that capitalized on a tweaked sound (Portishead, Garbage, etc). It's a mixed bag, with spots of intense goodness and spots of intense blandness alike. Still worth a listen for the musical strengths that Hassett showcases.