“Me Chama De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua” by Ana Frango Elétrico
A standout from Brazil’s emerging new wave scene.
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Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick is a standout from Brazil’s emerging new wave scene, laying down some of the funkiest rhythms of the year.
Genre: MPB, Jazz Fusion
Label: Mr. Bongo
Release Date: October 20, 2023
Vibe: 💃💃💃
Everything you need to know about the quality of the latest Ana Frango Elétrico album, Me Chama De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua, hits you within the first few seconds of opener “Electric Fish.” Echoing guitar chords glide effortlessly over an irresistible rhythm before making way for Ana’s sultry, joyous vocals, a cross between Kylie Minogue and another Brazilian great, Astrud Gilberto. It wasn’t until the brass kicked in after the first chorus that I realized I was standing up, doing a little shimmy in my kitchen, totally caught up in the immaculate vibes. Rinse and repeat for the rest of Me Chama, a delightful little gem that’s at once a throwback to Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) 60s heyday and a modernization of that very formula. At only 25 years of age, Ana is fast becoming a producer to watch. Her sophomore effort, Little Electric Chicken Heart earned a 2020 Latin Grammy nomination, which laid the foundation for burgeoning solo success with popular singles like “Mulher Homem Bicho.” Impressively, she takes her game to a new level with this LP.
Other highlights include “Dela,” featuring a breezy funk reminiscent of giants like Sergio Mendes and Tim Maia, but without sounding like a cheap ripoff (listen for the phaser that sounds like a wave crashing on the shore of a pristine beach). There’s also the swagger of “Boy of Stranger Things,” the timeless beauty of “Camelo Azul,” and the closing disco stomp of “Dr. Sabe Tudo.” “There’s so many references to different decades,” Ana explains on the record’s Bandcamp page. “Seventies drums with eighties processing … Going back, getting beyond … Testing the limits of organic sounds […] Even if people don't find my own references here, they'll find theirs. Maybe that’s this record’s biggest goal.” The writing, while purposely oblique at certain points, adds another dimension to the listening experience, cataloging the joys and uncertainties of searching for (and hopefully finding) instances of queer love. Clocking in at a tight half-hour, this is one of those records that make you sit up and believe its central creative force is a star in the making.
Get on Ana’s bandwagon while there’s still room for newbies.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈