As I begin to consume more national music, I come across several artists creating very interesting things, some complex, others more simple but captivating. One of these artists was Erico Junqueira, better known as Valentin, a street musician who performed in several public squares and streets of Brazil. His first album shows a simple and captivating sound, but intriguing in its lyrical aspect, and a bitter atmosphere of loneliness and desire to escape from what surrounds us.
The album begins with "Hoje eu quero Ficar" (Today I want to Stay) a good introduction to what will be the theme of the album, Valentin plays his acoustic guitar with simple chords that guide his beautiful voice, exalting how loneliness has haunted him during his life, and why this makes him unwilling to socialize with the outside world. The second track called "Primavera" progresses a bit in relation to the previous one, more guitars and vocal harmonies are present, the lyrical content becomes more personal, indicating that Valentin has the desire to isolate himself, but perhaps he needs someone to do it with him. An interesting characteristic present in this album is that in the final seconds of some tracks, a sound effect arises to relate to something that was said in the album. In the track "Primavera" Valentin wants to isolate himself with a person out of the big city, and a waterfall sound ends up in the final seconds, mixing with his guitar, in "Emmett Brown Saberia Me Dizer" there are quotes related to Television and a big static effect appears at the end of the song serving as a transition to the track "Louco", which is the most melancholic track of the album, and where things start to get more troubled and sad.
From the third track the album becomes richer in sounds, either by a lead guitar, rhythmic acoustic guitars, violas, ambient sounds and Valentin's great vocal range, in which he can create pleasant vocal harmonies and express his great personality as a musician, leading us to be enchanted by what he has to say, whether these subjects are directed to his everyday life or to a bitter melancholy that often pursues him. The way Valentin expresses himself with his guitar is rich and sounds honest, from simple chord progressions to follow his voice, to more elaborate guitar lines that emphasize the melancholy present in the album. Tracks like "Louco" and "Ìmpar" are good examples.
In general the album is a fast and pleasant Brazilian Folk experience, a good artistic debut that ends up having a good vocal and instrumental production, that includes animated and melancholic rhythms that diversify the album and give this beautiful contrast to what defines Valentin's mind.
Recommended tracks :
Hoje Eu Quero Ficar
Louco
Ìmpar
