Boogarins
Manual
Release Date: Oct 30, 2015
Genre(s): Latin, Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, International, Brazilian Pop, Tropicalia
Record label: Other Music Recording Company
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Album Review: Manual by Boogarins
Very Good, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
The sophomore studio long player from the Brazilian psych-pop outfit led by longtime friends Fernando “Dino” Almeida and Benke Ferraz, Manual continues to mine classic '60s Tropicalia and liquid-light show neo-psychedelia, but with a more contemporary flair. What's changed since 2013's excellent As Plantas Que Curam is that the band is no longer just Almeida and Ferraz conjuring up the ghost of Os Mutantes in their pieced-together basement studio. Fleshed-out and road-tested, the 2015 version of Boogarins is a well-oiled, though no less inventive machine.
Based on rating 7.5/10
Head here to submit your own review of this album. Boogarins' albums are weird ecosystems that grow on you (no wonder their debut was called As Plantas Que Curam - The Plants That Heal). Sure, certain tracks stand out ('Lucifernandis', 'Erre', or 'Doce' on their debut, 'Avalanche' or '6000 Dias' on Manual), but their albums are set to be perceived as a whole.
Based on rating 3/5
Much of the best new Brazilian music is dominated by the São Paulo scene, but Boogarins are from Goiânia, deep in the heart of the country, where singer and lyricist Dinho Almeida and multi-instrumentalist Benke Ferraz spent their teenage years listening to western psychedelia and digging out records by Os Mutantes or Caetano Veloso from the 60s Tropicália movement. They recorded their first album while still at high school, and were so successful that they set off on a lengthy world tour. Their second album is an assured, intriguing collection of songs that constantly changes direction, from delicate shimmering guitar work and brooding ballads to sturdy riffs and post-bossa rhythms.
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