Via Láctea is the follow-up to
Lô Borges' self-titled solo debut from 1972. During the seven years that separated the albums
Lô Borges and
Via Láctea,
Borges had matured enormously as an artist, and this would be his peak performance.
Via Láctea is filled with perfect, melodious pop songs characterized by
Lô Borges' beautiful and instantly recognizable melodic style and voice. Although the sound of
Lô Borges' music is quite unique, it is clearly influenced by the English and American pop and rock scenes and also by the folk music of his home state, Minas Gerais. As often is the case with the music of
Lô Borges, the album has a somewhat dreamy atmosphere that is accentuated by fine lyrics, often written by
Márcio Borges. As usual on
Lô Borges' albums, fellow
Clube da Esquina members
Beto Guedes and
Milton Nascimento made some contributions.
Lô Borges' sister, Solange Borges, also makes a rare appearance on the fine "Vento de Maio." The marvelous "Clube da Esquina No. 2," which was an instrumental track on the 1972 album
Clube da Esquina, gained lyrics on this album's version which were written by
Márcio Borges. Another fantastic track is the slightly
Beatlesque "Equatorial," with its beautiful but unusual-sounding electric organ. Other memorable songs on this album are "Via Láctea," "Chuva Na Montanha," and "Ela." These songs have all become classics within Brazilian popular music, and overall
Via Láctea is a great pop album by any standards. ~ Philip Jandovský