Review Summary: You will remember my name... or not.
To take advantage of the general optimism that usually surrounds the first days of the year, the Brazilian duo formed by Ana Caetano and Vitória Falcão had planned things accordingly without even knowing what 2020 had in store. During a trip in December of 2019 around the outer regions of Rio de Janeiro, mastermind Ana Caetano seems to have become obsessed with anything related to the number 3. In this manner,
Cor ("Color in English) is a three-letter word, chosen by the duo to name their third album together (along with the third unseen member of the project, producer Felipe Simas), an album that aims to represent, to some extent, the connection between body, spirit and mind.
With this plan in motion, minutes before the midnight hour of December 31st of 2020, AnaVitória uploaded the cover art of
Cor to their Instagram account. Hype ensued, album dropped, and Brazil celebrated and rejoiced around the fact that one of their bestselling rising stars had just sprinkled new music on them as soon as the calendar marked January 1st. But as high and sound this surprise release was, soon came the hangover, because
Cor is not exactly the messiah of Brazilian pop, but a smooth and pleasing album to kick 2021 on higher spirits.
Cor credits a long list of names behind the production of the album, which explains the fantastic base that has been created for Ana Caetano's compositions, to the point that it overshadows the duo's singing in more than one occasion. The promising start of "Amaereio, azul e branco", which includes a spoken word passage by the legendary singer of Os Mutantes and renowned Brazilian diva Rita Lee, sets the bar to astronomical heights right from the start. Cleverly placed percussive beats rooted in their regional music's tradition combine with modern bamboozling arrangements, giving the space for the duo to harmonize flawlessly, creating a perfect stream of pristine vocals that erupt in a colorful volcano of joy. In combination with the video released to accompany the track, this is AnaVitória at its best.
And then comes the hangover.
After the outstanding opener, and the samba-induced after party that is "Te amar é massa demais", 45 minutes of really-well-produced but ultimately inconsequential ballads and shallow pop tunes are about to put that new year optimism to a good test. Honestly, it would be unfair or inaccurate to say
Cor is a bad album, but the magic that immediately bewitches the listener during the first two tracks starts to vanish by the time "Explodir" plays its last notes, and one can only wonder if those inspired first minutes were only a fluke. The honeyed vocal harmonies of Ana and Vitória hardly sustain 8 more tracks where a vocal melody of one track could be swapped with the one from another track and you wouldn't even notice the difference, as it’s the case in the transition from “Explodir” to “Cigarra”.
Speaking of "Cigarra", the fifth cut comes close to regain some of the energy that impels the first half of the album but by the time "Selva" kicks in, the fatigue starts to show. This could be partly caused by the lack of variation in Ana and Vitória's singing style, which is especially grating when only one of them takes the spotlight. No matter how much the team led by Tó Brandileone would try to spice up the sluggish nature of Caetano's songs, their contributions to the track often struggle to find a proper balance. At times you have a small oasis like "Terra" on the second half, which manages to mark its chorus in the back of your mind despite its dragging tempo, but the perseverance of power ballads like “Te Procuro” or “Eu sei quem é você” don’t make the strongest of cases for the supposedly colorful essence of the duo’s latest release.
With
Cor, AnaVitória proves that the accolades that back up their lightning fast rise to fame are not entirely a serendipitous twist of fate, as the first half of the album generously illustrates, but the duo would maybe benefit in the future if they delved deeper in the rich musical legacy of their beloved Brazil to incorporate some of those elements into their brand of pop. Only then they will be able to produce something that really takes the air out of the body, elevates the spirit and rattles the mind like the works of many of the artists that sang the same tune way before them.
