All great singers, no matter which genre they’re singing, put all they’ve got in it, imprinting their strongest feelings in their performance. But there’s something about fado singers, due to the longing and melancholy which characterize the music itself, that heighten said feelings and make them expose their souls with a very own intensity. Now imagine that done with the passion of a born-and-raised rock’n’roll heart. Well, you don’t need to imagine it, you just need to listen to Paula Teles.
“Desencanto” is a 7-track EP that offers an exquisite blend of fado-gone-metal, where songwriter and producer Jorge Lopes enthralls you with the sadness of the Portuguese guitar (mind the intro of “Grito” or the riffs in the title track) as well as the fierceness of an electric guitar (the solo in “Na Boca do Lobo”, for instance), or how they complete each other throughout the whole melody (standing especially out in “Inocência” and “A Carta”, but pretty much in every song). The-devil-is-in-the-details gains a new meaning with the few piano keys in the intro of “Canto do Luar”, embellishing its sorrowful vibe, and also with some female choir – very symphonic – spicing up “Grito” here and there. And then the powerful drums and samples kicking off “Jogo do Silêncio”, which let you know that you’re about to listen to what’s probably the most tantalizing track. Paula has an extraordinary voice, a very feminine, strong pitch, whether high or low, and a fiery spirit overloading it – she doesn’t need to be associated to a big name to be under the spotlight. But when combined in a duet with none other than Björn Strid (SOILWORK, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA), the outcome is simply mind-blowing. Plus, a Swede singing in Portuguese is proof that you don’t need to understand the language to fall in love with the music…
9/10
Label: self-released
Producer: Jorge Lopes
Track list:
- Grito
- Desencanto
- Jogo do Silêncio (feat. Björn Strid)
- Inocência
- Na Boca do Lobo
- Canto ao Luar
- A Carta
Front Row Forever 