Marcio Faraco
Interior (2007)
Marcio Faraco’s 4th release, Invento, takes you into his studio with 11 tracks featuring acoustic guitar and percussion,along with Marcio’s fine vocals. The opening track "A Imagem Perdida" is a gorgeous, lilting song.
"Um Sinal" is a rhythmic joy — try not moving while hearing it. Also listen to the beat of "Tudo Se Faz por Dinheiro."
Other artists trying to work in this vein cloak their songs in slick production values that leave me wanting music that is both more melodic and full. In his own way, Marcio Faraco is a melodic descendant of Joao Gilberto and his students — crafting original songs that are both new and an evolution of Brazilian tradition. All of his albums are different and all excellent with instrumentation including clarinet, pedal steel guitar and evocative string quartets.
Invento lets us in on his creative process, as his songwriting usually begins with just guitar, before he adds the unique arrangements heard on his three previous albums, Ciranda (2000), Interior (2003), and Com Tradicao (2006). That he is not known in the US is our loss.
Review by Steve Donoso
Buy Interior.