Electronic artists have a hard time staying relevant in a genre that seems to shift its focus every few years. For acts that have been in the game for over a decade, like Thievery Corporation, the difficulty to retain relevance can result in a lack of focus on the aesthetics and sound that brought them initial notoriety.
Saudade, Thievery Corporation’s eighth studio album, seems to be a shift back toward their initial bossa-nova-meets-electronic crossover sound that struck gold during the late ’90s push of Latin American-influenced music. Over the course of their last few albums, Thievery Corporation have lost their footing for their traditional, yet inventive, sound.
What made Thievery Corporation an interesting act in the late ’90s was the duo’s ability to blend its American instrumental sound with Brazilian and Latin influences. The word "saudade" doesn’t have a direct translation from Portuguese, but roughly translates to "a melancholic feeling." That theme runs through the album, both in the instrumentation and the lyrics.
“Para Sempre” is an easy standout track, with an upbeat guitar and shaker beat that pushes the tempo but allows for the soft beach imagery move through the track. The transition into “Bateau Rouge” is sleek and easy, with the tempo changing without notice, allowing LouLou Ghelichkhani’s talented vocals to shine through.
While the latter half of the album feels fresh and relaxed, most of the opening sounds like filler tracks from an Antônio Carlos Jobim album. Thievery Corporation is known for thinking outside of the box, but much of the sound isn’t as imaginative or developed as seen on previous albums.
The shift back to tradition is a fresh recompense for fans that have waited for the group to move back toward a more bossa-nova sound. While the instrumentation of Saudade is a highlight, the lyrical writing of several songs gets lost in the shuffle of the production.
Rating: C-
