La Clara Sofia released her second EP, ABRASA, this past Friday, following her debut EP Desembocá. Her Afro-Brazilian style, influenced by maracatu and samba rock, is mixed with city grooves and rock influences, with experimental textures shining through brightly in this release. Drawing from Esperanza Spalding‘s layered jazz, Rita Lee‘s sharp pop, Akua Naru‘s wordplay punch, and Björk‘s expressive textures, she crafts songs that explore the chokehold memories can have on us, the rush of desire, and the euphoria of a bounce-back.
Some of the standouts include ‘Lança’s samba-disco bass featuring rising tension and tight delivery. ‘Subi’ floats atop the light drums, ‘Ilixilu’ feels more intimate with glassy percussion and an intimate vocal delivery that expresses La Clara Sofia’s charisma. ‘Bowery’ delivers on the mischievous and flirty side on a sonic level, something that sits between a live poetry read in terms of the vocal technique in the verses and a hazy jazz cabaret on Valentine’s Day.
ABRASA lands with La Clara Sofia claiming her spot within alternative pop. For anyone eyeing fresh crossovers, Sofia is the kind of artist who knows how to honor the origins of her sound while pushing its boundaries to new horizons.
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