Cícero pulls one hell of a trick on his debut album Canções de Apartamento; he somehow manages to convince you that these are songs you’ve known your whole life. The songs on the album are somehow both unassuming and so irresistibly catchy, that they end up perched up inside your head before you realise it.

If having these songs invade your personal space doesn’t sound too desirable then console yourself with the fact that these are beautiful little snapshots of life, strumming along with grace and drive, as well as surprisingly dense arrangements. This is especially the case on tracks like “Açúcar ou Adoçante?” and “Cecília e os Balões” which mix simple melodies with warm, at times abrasive, sonic surrounds. Even the darker tones of “Ensaio Sobre Ela” somehow manage to sound welcoming despite the fact that all may not be well. It’s that kind of sinister glow that pulls you into David Lynch movies or Tom Waits songs.

It’s for these very reasons that you could imagine Cícero working as a soundtrack composer. There is something very cinematic about these songs, each one a little vignette of colours and shades, with complex emotions driving along the narratives. As a 10-song debut album this works perfectly. Musically, the album’s sonic palette repeats itself across the record’s relatively short time-span, but this only strengths it’s cohesiveness.

Canções de Apartamento should be put alongside Marcelo Camelo’s recent works as great indie/folk music, with that extra rhythmic quality and melodic elegance that Brazilian music has at it’s finest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2bQeULS4i4

Canções de Apartamento is available as a free download at www.cicero.net.br.

Write kind things at www.facebook.com/cancoes.de.apartamento?sk=app_178091127385.

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