Madredeus - Movimento

Interesting group, interesting sound. Liking some of the tracks I heard here, I read up on them and realize that they are heavily influenced by pre-Columbus troubadour ballads and more obscure traditions. Seeing as I don't speak Portuguese, their lyrics are generally hard to discern but the themes are universal so I can appreciate the vibe. Not an album that will knock anyone's socks off, but they have great chemistry as a folk ensemble.

7 out of 10

Movimento - Madredeus

Yeah, I don't have much to say about this one other than it was okay, but I wouldn't listen to it again.

It wasn't terrible but it didn't pique my interest at all.

Two stars.

Straight away the instrumentation is lovely. It's warm, dark, and in brief moments a bit sinister. If it were stripped down to just an instrumental record I'd really enjoy it. That isn't to say that the vocals are entirely off-putting, I just generally gravitate toward non-vocal music. The non-English lyrics are a plus, creating an abstract quality like that of the stream-of-consciousness lyricism and asemantic vocals I so often enjoy from other artists.

My world music exposure is limited primarily to Hearts of Space broadcasts and the world-infused music of Dead Can Dance or the ethnic world electronica of Deep Forest, but I suppose the artist most similar to Madredeus in my experience would have to be the enigmatic and plaintive lo-fi melodies of Mus on albums like Dominar La Fame (Canciones 1996-2004) on the Avant Garden label and La Navel on Acuarela Discos. That said, the music of Madredeus is far more lush and full than the fragile melodies of Mus, and that is a great strength for the band. The subtle introduction of sparsely placed bells and plinking instruments to accompany the warm sounds of the cello and acoustic guitar really create an intimate atmosphere for the listener which is consistent throughout the record.

What is perhaps most impactful about this music is its beautiful organic quality. Even the electronic treatments, (perhaps that's a synth keyboard set to flute?), retain a natural authenticity which is sorely lacking in much of the overproduced contemporary music of the West. And while I was cautious and undecided about my position with regard to the vocals at the outset, by the third or fourth track it seems quite fitting and a well-suited complement to the album's folk-spirited sound.

I see that some members complained about the duration of the record. Clocking in at a generous 78 minutes, it is no small undertaking. But I love long-form atmospheric recordings which permit the listener to drift in and out of active and passive listening until the music becomes a sonic wallpaper to envelop the room. Movimento makes for a splendid 78-minute meditation.

I'd actually had a really rough morning, so this record served as a much-needed restorative cup of tea. Thank you!

8.5/10

The band is one singer, one acoustic bass player, two guitarists and one keyboard player, so that's what you are hearing.

As for the rest of your review: I'm glad you liked it! It's not that I don't appreciate all the other comments on the album, but it was nice to see someone actually say something positive and insightful about the album. I'm only human after all :laughing:

And I also agree the length of the album is not a problem. I personally enjoy a lot of quite lengthy albums. If I get into the groove and atmosphere of a really good album, then I like to just soak in it's feel for a good, long while.

I'll check out some of the artist names you mentioned.

I thought that overall the guitar was pleasant and accomplished. The vocalist reminded me of the Brazilian singer Juçara Marçal of Meta Meta crossed with Kate Bush. I think she's just serviceable and doesn't add much to the music outside of a few surprising melodic turns. Most of the time, the piano sounds a bit tacked on and unnecessary. The album serves really well as background music, as it's pretty inoffensive and the talented guitars give it a familiar vibe, but sitting back and focusing on the compositions makes it really obvious how unnecessarily derivative they are. There really isn't a lot here for me to dissect and there's not much here that makes me want to revisit it either. I'm not gonna lie though, when MicShazam said it was the best album ever recorded, I expected it to much much cheesier :laughing:. I might throw this on again if it were cut down to a 6 track EP or something like that, but I'm just not into it. I'll give it a neutral five with one point docked for overstaying the **** out of its welcome. That home stretch is brutal. 4/10.

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
Liked the music but didn't care for the vocals.

2. What did you think of the opening track?
Same answer as the previous question.

3. What did you think of the next track?
Same answer as question 1.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?
Didn't care for the vocals. They actually got in the way of the music for me.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?
Most of it, yes.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it?
Stayed the same throughout.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?
I understand a little bit of Portuguese but not enough to decipher the lyrics all the way through any of the songs.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?
Mostly, yes.

9. What did you think of the production?
It sounded quite good.

10. Did you know of this artiste prior to listening to the album, and if so, did that foreknowledge colour your perception of this album?
Never heard of them before this.

11. Is this, generally, the kind of music you listen to or not?
No.

12. Assuming you listened to the album more than once, on repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?
Listened twice. Had the same reaction to it after the second listen.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?
No favorite.

14. And the one you liked least?
None of them stood out as being particularly bad.

15. If the album in question is a debut, did that fact allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?
N/A

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing more from this artiste, if you have not heard any of their other material?
No. The vocals sunk the album for me. Don't care to hear any more.

17. Were you surprised by your reaction - positive or negative - to the album?
Didn't know what to expect going into it.

18. Did the album end well?
Yes. I thought the album seemed to go on too long, though. I lost interest halfway into it.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?
For my listening pleasure, I'd remove the vocals, make it an instrumental album and whittle it down to 8 or 9 tunes.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?
It hung together well.

5/10

I don't really know what to say about this album. It's interesting enough, but the performances and songwriting are both just good enough, and nothing else about the album really jumps out at me. Fancy background music, perhaps if I understood the lyrics I'd enjoy it a bit more, but I don't really think so. It also doesn't help that every song sort of sounds exactly the same. 6/10

Circle X - Untitled EP
Madradeus - Movimento
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Oddments

I wasn't ever really saying it was literally the best album ever recorded in full seriousness. I was just poking fun at Elph a bit when he was running away from the club. Although I do think this album is very, very good.

Also; don't worry. Next time I might choose something so offensive to other member's tastes that I will be ejected from the album club. This time was no fun. People just thought it was dull, mostly.

This sounds like something I'd be down for.