Search - Bossanova :: "Hey, Sugar"

Killer stuff, this.

Paul J. Decoursey-clark | Boise, ID | 11/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hey Sugar, the debut cd from Bossanova, prooves that the folks over at TeenBeat have an ear for the good stuff. The band, comprised of members of the New Pornographers and Black Mountain, pours forth cheerful pop tunes with surprisingly violent (at times) lyrics. "Calvary" for example kicks off with "It's time to kill/ They're waiting on top of the hill". It never strains though, and just try to listen to this and not nod your head. Hopefully a taste of what's to come."

Bossanova, well done!

B. Brenner | Ann Arbor, MI | 04/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
When it appeared on my Pandora radio station, I immediately fell in love with the swaying jazz style rhythm of Bossanova's "Blue Bossanova." A number of Google searches later, I had listened to this exciting new sound with growing interest. This electrifying band that I had never heard of was making its debut into my music collection.

Although the band's debut was not a memorable one, after a school day of humming the catchy tune, I decided I needed it for my upcoming vacation. My first move after making it home was to download it. Once on my iPod and securely in my backpack, I couldn't wait to get my complimentary orange juice on my flight to Los Angeles and listen.

My initial reaction to Bossanova's Hey, Sugar produced by Teenbeat Records was not a great one. I expected to be blown away, but the length of the songs and repetition of the background beat prevented the experience from being all that it might have been. The songs took a while to get into, unlike the initial "Blue Bossanova" that intrigued me from the beginning, the other songs didn't stream into my mind without some resistance. Still optimistic, I skipped around Bossanova's only release, and discovered some even slower songs. What excited me, however, was the smooth falsetto of the album's vocalist.

Chris Storrow seamlessly fuses his voice with a random cast of musicians who have made it in their own right. It is rumored that Kurt Dahle (New Pornographers) will be producing their next album. The Canadian quartet blends soul, psychedelic, and jazz styles to create their unique sound; this sound unfortunately was not very successful in the music industry. After a while of listening, I realized the unvaried tune that flowed from one song into next, proved to be tiresome. A major part of my disappointment and lack-of-interest is Chris's voice, which with good melodies, can sound great, but without them, sounds dull.

The not-so-dull melody of "French Accent" opened my resting eyes. This feel-good track brought me a feeling of satisfaction and excitement. This song, although I do not understand them, has rhapsodic lyrics. The promising opening line delivers "How can you hide/What you can't contain." As the pinnacle of the album, Storrow shows off his vocal talent while the strong melting groove when combined with the xylophonesque keyboard creates my favorite track on the album.

"Rare Brazil" flows quite nicely. This mostly instrumental track follows the smooth dance groove established early on by the bassist, Michael Boegh. When the guitarist comes in combined with the keyboards, the song really gains momentum. This may be something I would expect to hear coming out of a daytime nightclub or an indie coffee house. The 7:18 minute song is, however, a bit long, with a repetitive sound the song seems double its actual length. Once past this fourth track the CD goes through a sophomore slump within the album, until reaching the second-to-final song.

While the CD may reach its peak too soon, its momentum carries on after a minute or so into each of the songs. While I can only guess why the band chooses this order of songs, I believe it may have something to do with when the song was made. As expected from any album created over a one decade span, this CD provides the listeners with a variety of feelings, like the depressing "It felt like a Weight" and the appropriately titled "Lullaby," the album goes through moods as does a puppy exploring its new house.

You don't have to search far to find the obvious lounge in Bossanova's music. Although lacking in distinguishable lyrics, Bossanova flew me from Detroit to Chicago with gratifying results. With a little turbulence accompanied by an apology from the smooth voiced captain, this experience was one that I would be talking about with all my friends. As I discover more songs on the intriguing CD, the more satisfied I become with my purchase. So, hey Bossanova, well done!

"