Sonantes

Not a band per se, Sonantes are more of a Brazilian collective out of São Paulo that came together to make soundtracks for imaginary movies. They do, however, include some pretty serious talent, with members of Instituto, Nação Zumbi, and others, as well as guests like Apollo 9 and Siba. That adds up to some heavy hitters, mixing different Brazilian traditions with cutting-edge rock, hip-hop, and electronica, although they largely subsume their talents for Copacabana-flavored atmosphere here — indeed, the only thing that stands out as a real Brazilian "song" in the accepted sense is the closer, "Frevo de Saudade," a lovely, light ending to an album that's surprisingly cohesive and satisfying. Subtle layers of rhythm mean there's no doubt about the country of origin, but all the tracks create their own moods, some dark, others warm. With talent like this you'd expect nothing less, but the fact that they deliver something so sophisticated comes as a real bonus.