MicShazam

A blog wherein I write about the things I find, post amazing songs and give my short-form opinions on CD's that I've bought recently.

I've long since given up on the idea of writing full lenght reviews. I don't ever read album reviews anymore.
I consider it a fruitless method of music discovery, so I'll simply comment, link and ramble about whatever I find.
The idea is to convey my enthusiasm and to point towards things that I find interesting, beautiful, unusual, whatever...
So join me on my journey through the landscape of music or, like, don't. Whichever suits you best!


Comments are more than welcome on this blog!


The maiden voyage post will be this:



Artist: Cristina Branco
Nationality: Portugal
Song: E Às Vezes Dou Por Mim
Album: Menina
Year: 2016
Genre: Fado, more or less

Inside the last ½ years time I've discovered that I apparently always held a secret love for all sorts of "ethnic" and "foreign"
sounding music inside. Why it hasn't dawned on me any earlier to check out the musical traditions South America, Africa,
Asia and southern Europe I don't know.
I always really enjoyed spanish guitar and old timey sounding Spanish songs, African singing and such in movies, so...
What was it I couldn't see?
Anyhow... better late than newer. Now I'm finding all sorts of amazing things and I feel like my perception of the musical
landscape has been blown wide open.

I discovered Cristina Branco pretty recently and I'm already completely taken with her music. Her voice is simply sublime.
Beautiful, vulnerable, expressive, powerful... I simply adore the colour of her voice and the nuanced way in which she bends
the notes and varies how she sings syllables and with how much force. This is what a truly talented singer sounds like.

E Às Vezes Dou Por Mim is a song that simply knocked me off my feet the first time I heard it. The video is gorgeus as well.
The part near the end where the guitars jam a bit together with the piano, soon to be joined back up with Branco... Just amazing.
Just like most music I've heard from her so far, the mood is generally melancholic and full of longing. The backing music is kept fairly subtle,
but there's a lot of great, melodic acoustic guitar and piano if you listen carefully. This style of music really speaks to me. I feel like I have to
make it a new mission in life to some day travel to portugal just so I can sit through long summer nights, drinking wine while listening
to fado. It could very well be a mind blowing experience for me.


I don't know if anyone else in here feels me on this, but there's my two cents on this artist for now.
I've got much more to say on similar portugese music, but that'll be another time.