Rodrigo Amarante wurde bekannt als Mitglied von Los Hermanos, einer der beliebtesten Alternative-Bands Brasiliens. Seit Jahren lebt er in den USA und trat zuletzt in Devendra Banharts Liveband sowie als Gründungsmitglied der US-brasilianischen Band Little Joy (neben dem Strokes-Schlagzeuger Fabrizio Moretti und Binki Shapiro) in Erscheinung.

Sein Solodebüt "Cavalo" ist ein mutiges, ehrliches und zutiefst persönliches Album, das sich mit dem amerikanischen Exilleben des Brasilianers beschäftigt. Der nämlich lebt seit 2008 in Los Angeles, ein Umstand, den man "Cavalo" auch anhört: Das Album lebt von einem leicht diesigen, verträumten West-Coast-Vibe, die Songs atmen verschiedene Stimmungen, Sprachen und Tempi. So ist das erste Stück "Nada Em Vao" eher schlafwandlerisch unterwegs, während "Hourglass" ein schnell bewegender psychedelischer Stomper ist und "Mon Nom" als sonnenfleckiger, französischsprachiger Folktronic-Walzer kommt.

Ein verführerisches Album, das atmosphärisch irgendwo zwischen David Crosby, Bon Iver und Cat Power anzusiedeln ist.

The road leading to Brazilian singer/songwriter Rodrigo Amarante's first solo album was a long one. The journeyman artist began his career in the late '90s taking a sideman role in the popular Brazilian rock group Los Hermanos and eventually emerging as the band's driving force and key songwriter. He was a member of the samba big band supergroup Orquestra Imperial, recorded in America with Devendra Banhart, and then formed the indie project Little Joy with Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti. But it took nearly two decades until he was ready to make his most personal artistic statement, 2014's sublime Cavalo. A thoughtful and beautifully rendered blend of classic tropicália and indie folk and rock styles, Amarante evokes the pan-global creativity of Caetano Veloso, the wry and romantic charm of Paolo Conte, and the experimental pop meanderings of Andrew Bird. This is a unique record by an artist who is hard to define as he jumps from Portuguese to French to English throughout songs that are moody, melancholic, and at times jaunty. From the strange beauty of opener "Nada em Vão," whose sonic bed resembles Bibio's Silver Wilkinson album, to the spare, enchanting closer "Tardei," Amarante presents a diverse but ultimately cohesive set fixated on themes of quiet solitude, exile, and discovery. Two of the most striking tracks, "Mon Nom" and "Irene," sit together in the sequence, wistfully sung and gently played on solo classical guitar through a warm, gauzy filter that best represents the overall tone of Cavalo. When he does pick up the tempo, as on the Spoon-esque "Hourglass" or the bright, tropical romp "Maná," it changes the mood enough to further flesh out Amarante's unique personality without disrupting the album's flow. Already a well-known figure in the Brazilian pop scene, this wonderfully creative and understated solo debut ought to vault him further into international favor and critical success.

(by Timothy Monger, All Music Guide)