Here are a pair of ladies that keep the sounds light and accessible, leaning more towards the pop side of life.
When the hair stylist and makeup artist is given credit on the liner notes, you know you’re in for a well produced album. Badi Assad has a warm and alluring voice, and her classical guitar touch is warm, inviting and accessible. Her team of Simone Sou/perc, Rui Barossi/b, Oleg Fateev/zcc, Ruria Duprat/synt and Carlinhos Antunes/quarto are able to make the music a bit rock-oriented as on “Royals” or with a bowed bass they can create some exotic mysticism during “Hunger of the Pine.” Assad’s guitar is clean and pastoral during “Little Lion Man” and she can create a romantic mood on “Entrelacar” as well as give a tip to Astor Piazzola on the nueva tango “Stranger.” Clean and polished.
Kimie Miner also sings and plays the guitar on this likewise well produced album. Along with Imua Garza/uk-g-b, there is a rotating team of drummers, keyboardists, percussionists and horns. Theres some snappy horns on the radio friendly “Throwback Love” and the melancholic “Make it to Morning” includes synthetic drumming, which seems to be a signature here. A folksy “Lullabies” has Miner earnestly singing with an acostic guitar, and the team glides into an infectious calypso during “Fallin’ Again.” She does a coy duet with vocalist Caleb Keolanui” on the indie sounding “Love’s in the Melody” and even some reggae gets into the act on the closing “Sweet Company.” Light and cheerful.