Incredible spy-vibe CeU music
Dan Bergevin | CapitalizedLiving.com | 08/16/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's fair to say I'm obsessed with CeU's music, which is a buffet of musical styles all infused with funky, sultry soul and her gorgeous vocals. For that reason, no one could realistically expect her sound to stay the same from song-to-song, let alone from album-to-album. It's no surprise, then, that Sonantes differs so much from her self-titled album.
Sonantes isn't completely CeU's music. She didn't write any of the music and, following the liner notes, didn't write all the vocals either. But this doesn't matter at all - the sound is very, very CeU. It's smooth, like her solo album, but in a very different way. It's like a Brasilian James Bond film soundtrack, complete with spy guitars (reminiscent of early Portishead) and a distinctly cinematic vibe.
A couple caveats: This album is short. Way too short. But this is no reason not to buy it at full price, because it's all about quality and not quantity anyway. You'll get your money's worth after many repeat listenings, which is almost guaranteed to happen. Also, there are a couple of tracks with male vocals, which aren't terrible or distracting but aren't CeU either. Nonetheless, these are good songs and I think you'll like them all the same.
In summation, with Sonantes CeU strikes again and does so with her trademark sound of ridiculously smooth vocals over constantly shifting soundscapes. It's different in the best way possible and will grow on you, so give it a few listens if you don't get it the first time around.
Buy Sonantes immediately if you like CeU, modern Brasilian music, or good music in general. CéU"