Luiz Gabriel Lopes, an original member of the Brazilian post-Tropicalia group
Graveola, is striking out on his own, and his first single is a
tender, very latter-day Beatles-sounding piano ballad, titled
“Vênus.”
Lopes hails from
Minas Gerais, inland from Brazil’s other major cultural hubs of Rio,
São Paulo and Bahia, but with a storied musical history of its own
that includes Milton Nascimento and Club da Esquina, as well as
thriving rap, reggae, and indie rock scenes today.
Lopes' previous band Graveola was itself part of a generation of bands that were heirs to
the culture-mashing Tropicalia movement of the ‘60s, and his
previous releases under his own name are delightful, thanks to their
leaps between genres and styles. So, even if it’s no surprise that
Lopes would cook up such a classic-feeling melody for “Vênus”
that nevertheless remains implacable, it’s a treat to hear. But at
two minutes, we’re hungry for more, and keeping an eye out for the
rest of the Sois EP to come
out on Da Lata Music.
