A lengthy hiatus and a dazzling solo effort from frontwoman
Sabina Sciubba had many fans wondering if they'd seen the last of New York's
Brazilian Girls. A handful of one-off shows and rumors of studio sessions yielded little until the sudden appearance of 2016's "The Critic," a mysterious single with a bright polyrhythmic groove which proved to be the first taste of their long-awaited fourth album. Arriving a full decade after 2008's Grammy-nominated
New York City,
Let's Make Love still bears a healthy dose of
Brazilian Girls' global village feel, but also adheres to a more unified pop approach. That's not to say their playful eclecticism has subsided, but in their ten-year absence, the Manhattan dance band's aesthetic has shifted somewhat, revealing both a propulsive punk aesthetic and a softer, more introspective side that feel like two sides of the same coin. If not more organic in tone, the record feels ultimately more structured in terms of songwriting with a number of strong standouts that show the quartet know their way around a great pop song. On the more uptempo side, there is the hooky synth-rock of "Pirates" and the vibrant title cut with its surprising harmonium groove and celestial vocal stacks. Softer fare like the dreamy "Sunny Days" and the supple "Karaköy" act as showcases both for
Sciubba's nimble vocals and the band's increasingly nuanced arrangements. A pair of more exotic-sounding tracks, "Salve" and "Balla Balla," feel more like the
Brazilian Girls of old with their multilingual shapeshifting, horns, and mix of jazz, reggae, and electronica. At 13 tracks,
Let's Make Love drags just a little, especially in its first quarter, but as a whole, it's a welcome comeback from an enduringly creative act. ~ Timothy Monger