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Butterflies
Butterflies in Bloomington, MN
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Polish singer and songwriter
Basia
became prominent during the 1980s, first for her membership in the polished British pop-jazz vocal outfit
Matt Bianco
, and later as a solo artist. Her first three wildly successful recordings -- which sold by the truckload in the U.S. and U.K. -- made her something of a household name during the MTV era. Her Brazilian-influenced jazzy soul helped to create a standard of excellence in adult contemporary on par with peers
Everything But the Girl
,
Swing Out Sister
Level 42
, and
Sade
. She all but disappeared after the '90s, but did take part in a reunion with her former band for 2004's acclaimed
Matt's Mood
. In 2009, she returned to solo recording with
It's That Girl Again
. The album resonated with longtime fans, but failed to rival the large sales of her earlier outings, perhaps due to a transitioning industry landscape. But everything in pop is cyclical. With
Butterflies
, her first studio recording since 2009 and debut for
Shanachie
, she attempts to reclaim her place with her trademark meld of classy, sophisticated Latin- and Brazilian jazz-tinged pop.
Co-written and co-produced with longtime collaborator and pianist (and
bandmate)
Danny White
, this set includes 11 originals that underscore her trademark sound and crisscross the genre landscape. In addition, her instantly recognizable voice and three-and-a-half octave range, attention to detail, craft, and a newfound freedom are the hallmarks of
. First single "Mateo" is at once crisp and vulnerable in its use of samba; its clean emotive lines and hip syncopation would not be out of step in a collaboration between
Marisa Monte
and
Michael Franks
. In "No Heartache," lithe, layered vocal harmonies (reminiscent of
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
) meet breezy Latin funk -- complete with wah-wah guitars and punchy clavinets. "Be Pop" is framed in hard-hitting uptempo swing buoyed by the
Chopin University Big Band
with swaggering saxophones and muted brass. "Show Time" juxtaposes a steamy guajira groove with lush romantic pop as former
bandmate
Mark Reilly
duets with
in a mini reunion. "Like Crazy" is a breathy, classy, Euro soul tune with Brazilian rhythmic accents and an irresistible hook. Basia's vocal drips with conviction as her protagonist confesses want in the midnight hour amid rippling piano, taut bass, and synths. Retro-futurist samba fuels closer "Pandora's Box" has slippery scatting, cascading strings, silvery muted brass, nylon-string guitars, and bubbling percussion.
gradually ratchets up the sensual tension as
White
delivers call-and-response ostinatos that guide saxophones, flutes, and even a bassoon. While it's easy to peg
as simply a continuation of
's aesthetic in a new century, that would be missing the point: That this winning formula has evolved from the past to emerge in the present as musically and emotionally resonant via wonderfully articulated songs illustrated with gorgeous charts and underscored by truly inspired performances. ~ Thom Jurek
Basia
became prominent during the 1980s, first for her membership in the polished British pop-jazz vocal outfit
Matt Bianco
, and later as a solo artist. Her first three wildly successful recordings -- which sold by the truckload in the U.S. and U.K. -- made her something of a household name during the MTV era. Her Brazilian-influenced jazzy soul helped to create a standard of excellence in adult contemporary on par with peers
Everything But the Girl
,
Swing Out Sister
Level 42
, and
Sade
. She all but disappeared after the '90s, but did take part in a reunion with her former band for 2004's acclaimed
Matt's Mood
. In 2009, she returned to solo recording with
It's That Girl Again
. The album resonated with longtime fans, but failed to rival the large sales of her earlier outings, perhaps due to a transitioning industry landscape. But everything in pop is cyclical. With
Butterflies
, her first studio recording since 2009 and debut for
Shanachie
, she attempts to reclaim her place with her trademark meld of classy, sophisticated Latin- and Brazilian jazz-tinged pop.
Co-written and co-produced with longtime collaborator and pianist (and
bandmate)
Danny White
, this set includes 11 originals that underscore her trademark sound and crisscross the genre landscape. In addition, her instantly recognizable voice and three-and-a-half octave range, attention to detail, craft, and a newfound freedom are the hallmarks of
. First single "Mateo" is at once crisp and vulnerable in its use of samba; its clean emotive lines and hip syncopation would not be out of step in a collaboration between
Marisa Monte
and
Michael Franks
. In "No Heartache," lithe, layered vocal harmonies (reminiscent of
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
) meet breezy Latin funk -- complete with wah-wah guitars and punchy clavinets. "Be Pop" is framed in hard-hitting uptempo swing buoyed by the
Chopin University Big Band
with swaggering saxophones and muted brass. "Show Time" juxtaposes a steamy guajira groove with lush romantic pop as former
bandmate
Mark Reilly
duets with
in a mini reunion. "Like Crazy" is a breathy, classy, Euro soul tune with Brazilian rhythmic accents and an irresistible hook. Basia's vocal drips with conviction as her protagonist confesses want in the midnight hour amid rippling piano, taut bass, and synths. Retro-futurist samba fuels closer "Pandora's Box" has slippery scatting, cascading strings, silvery muted brass, nylon-string guitars, and bubbling percussion.
gradually ratchets up the sensual tension as
White
delivers call-and-response ostinatos that guide saxophones, flutes, and even a bassoon. While it's easy to peg
as simply a continuation of
's aesthetic in a new century, that would be missing the point: That this winning formula has evolved from the past to emerge in the present as musically and emotionally resonant via wonderfully articulated songs illustrated with gorgeous charts and underscored by truly inspired performances. ~ Thom Jurek
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