Send "Seu George " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 When Seu Jorge released his The Life Aquatic tie-in album of David Bowie covers, the novelty of hearing those familiar rock songs performed in Portuguese and acoustically wasn't the most transformative thing about it. It was the absolute mellowness of Jorge's voice that stood out: a thick, baritone murmur, robust and sleepy at the same time. His non-Brazilian audience is still most familiar with that record, despite the subsequent release of a fine album of originals, América Brasil O Disco, and earlier releases like Carolina (aka Samba Esporte Fino) and Cru, which gave him a samba-funk backdrop to let the dynamics of that voice get a bit livelier.Seu Jorge & Almaz arose out of a different filmic scenario: It started as a one-off collaboration for a soundtrack, and Jorge figured the band was worth sticking with for an entire album's worth of cover songs. It has a radically different dynamic than the Bowie record, with a heavier backing band-- film score composer Antonio Pinto on bass; Nação Zumbi's Lucio Maia and Pupillo on guitar and drums respectively-- that operates with dubby reverb and burbly, sleepwalking funk rhythms derived from the mangue beat movement. But its emphasis on slow tempos and subtle percussion gives it a woozier, gloomier atmosphere than his pre-Zissou work. This ethereal mood cuts both ways. When it works, it's appealingly laid-back, and covers of Brazilian classics-- Noriel Vilela's "Saudosa Bahia" and Jorge Ben's "Errare Humanum Est"-- are captured with a warm affection. Maia's guitar tone is the most prominent sound on the album after Jorge's voice, and its delicate but resonant timbre sounds particularly rich bouncing off the vocals; the lead on their version of Baden Powell's "Tempo de Amor" has an especially liquid sway. But this style seems weirdly lackluster when they head north of the equator. It's an odd, malfunctioning gimmick to hear Jorge's usually nuanced voice try to take on the deadpan lead of Kraftwerk's "The Model", and he sounds especially distracted and lethargic on sluggish versions of Roy Ayers' "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" and Michael Jackson's "Rock With You". On the latter, he doesn't even bother to sing the entire chorus, omitting the crucial phrasing of "sunlight" and dancing the listener into nowhere....full text |
| Dustedmagazine |
| Brazilian singer/songwriter/actor Seu Jorge (né Jorge Mário da Silva) is best known stateside for his charming and creative covers, most notably the acoustic set of David Bowie tunes that accompanied Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Which makes it no secret why ears perked when a re-imagining of Roy Ayers’ sweltering synth-groove “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” started circulating. Not to mention, it was being released by knowledgeable L.A. funk imprint Now-Again Records. Those curious were treated with a much more straight-ahead rendition than Jorge’s previous affairs, but it’s hard to complain about a psychedelic-samba cover a soul-jazz classic laced with one of the sexiest baritones in the game. The full-length following the single is a collaboration between Jorge and fellow Brazilians, Almaz. Consisting of guitarist Lucio Maria, drummer Pupillio and bassist/composer Antonio Pinto (the man behind the soundtracks to City of God, Central Station and a number of other Brazilian films), the band provides one sultry groove after another of samba-soul singed with electric guitar flares and plenty of psychedelic effects. Producer Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys, Tone Loc, Super Furry Animals) also makes his presence greatly felt; each instrument brightly whips around the other, sometimes enveloping and sometimes supporting Jorge’s soul-piercing vocals. Seu Jorge and Almaz is a collection of covers that may lack the instantaneous hook of “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” but certainly delivers a much more invigorating and sustaining listen than the leaked single. For example, the album opens with a hypnotic and rather moving take on a lesser renown Jorge Ben cut from 1974’s A Tábua de Esmeralda, “Errare Humanum Est.” Jorge — whose vocal presentation is not unlike Ben’s soaring croon, though significantly more scruffy — and Almaz strip away the springy acoustic rhythm, strings and women’s chorus of the original for a thumping, tom-heavy rhythm and a searing electric guitar that resonates for days. It’s samba-soul, but Jorge’s delivery is so concerned and expressive that you can’t help but derive a deeper meaning than just beaches and palm trees. The covered material is far-reaching. The band reworks mostly Brazilian tunes, including Tim Maia’s “Cristina,” Tribo Massáhi’s “Pai João,” Noriel Vielal’a “Saudosa Bahia,” Paula Lima’s “Cirandar,” Baden Powell’s “Tempo De Amor,’ João Donato’s “Cala Boca, Menino” and Nelson Cavaquinho’s “Juízo Final.” It’s a diverse group of songsmiths coming from a range of Brazilian styles, but most of the songs date back to the early 1970s and are given a hefty dose of low end and sexy ambiance....full text |
| Avclub |
| Chalk it up to the influence of his side career as an actor, but so far, Seu Jorge has avoided falling into the same role record after record. He was samba’s savior at first, then its Dr. Frankenstein—working electronics into the classic Brasileiro sound—before he risked novelty by creating a full album of David Bowie em Português for The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. On his latest album, Jorge takes up with a proper band for the first time, the psych-inclined three-piece Almaz, to reinvent himself once again. What’s initially striking is how dark these songs are. The eponymous album is all covers, and most come from Jorge’s countrymen—hallowed names like Jorge Ben, Tim Maia, and Nelson Cavaquinho. In Almaz’s hands, these once-springy tunes become the stuff of black, endless nights. “Cirandar” morphs into mournful, reverb-drenched dub, while “Juizo Final” is searing electric psych-rock all the way through. Jorge bends his voice to the cause, alternating between growls and coos—another instrument in the mix....full text |
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