Werther - Werther (1970) [Reissue 2019]

A lost late bossa gem from the Brazilian scene of the 70s – served up by a singer with an acoustic guitar, but in a way that's a lot more complex than bossa nova records of the 60s! Werther works here in territory that's a bit like Joyce or Edu Lobo at the time – music that uses the core elements of a generation before, but in ways that open up in a range of different moods – sometimes with larger arrangements providing some of the complexity, sometimes with qualities that come from the singer himself – especially when his lead vocals are given some sublime harmony backup. The sense of sound balance and tone is superb – like some of the territory that Marcos Valle or Arthur Verocai were exploring at the time – and titles include "Lenda", "Rei Do Chao", "Terca Feira", "Leilao", "Catavento", "Mudanca", "Ave Maria", and "Dimensao".