On their ninth CD, this Portugese group's sound is pretty much the same as it has been since their 1992 debut: pan-cultural world music with a decided Brazilian influence. With the emotional resonance of the best Portugese fado, but an ear for melody that's downright universal, guitarist Pedro Ayres Magalhaes crafts gentle, ethereal compositions perfectly suited to Teresa Salguiero's heavenly voice, which floats above the airy tunes like a melancholy angel. With no drums to hold down the rhythm, the songs on
Movimento all have a decidedly ambient sense of spaciousness, flowing smoothly along without so much as a ripple to disturb the peaceful waters. And with 16 tracks, the near-constant mood and tempo can get a bit monotonous at times. But the sad, serene beauty of songs like the opening "Anseio" and the lilting "Afinal - A Minha Cançáo" show that while
Madredeus may do only one thing, they do it very, very well. ~ Bret Love