Rolling Stone (p.179) - 3 stars out of 5 - "The sublime 'River Song' and 'Baby', an Os Mutantes cover, groove to the spirit of samba, and more down-tempo tracks such as 'Cada Beijo' exude supper-club chill-out."
Entertainment Weekly (p.87) - "[A]ll the songs play like a lovely summer breeze." - Grade: A-
Q (p.114) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[I]t's probably about as near as most of us will ever get to a sunset stroll along Ipanema. The ideal summer soundtrack."
Uncut (p.102) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[S]weet and sultry as a languid Copacabana summer afternoon."
CMJ (p.5) - "The band's hooks are rounded at the edges and placed in mid-tempo territory, creating something both laid back and quietly innovative."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[A]nother rich balm for the senses, its spare, sunshine-fortified grooves propelled by intoxicating rhythm tracks..."
Personnel: Bebel Gilberto (vocals); Pascal Gabriel (various instruments, programming); Pedro Baby, Masa Shimizu (acoustic guitar); Paul Levi (flute); Carlinhos Brown (harmonica, piano, vibraphone, bongos); Didi Gutman (piano, keyboards, programming); Marius De Vries (piano, bells, programming); Jorge Helder (bass instrument); Magrus Borges (drums); Mauro Refosco (percussion); Alexis Smith (programming).
Recording information: Looking Glass Studio, New York, New York; Ilhas Dos Sapos, Salvador De Bahia (2004); Strongroom, London, England (2004); A R, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (2004); Frou Frou, London, England (2004).
For her second studio album, Bebel Gilberto largely forgoes the electronic tinges of TANTO TIEMPO, in favor of a more straight-ahead bossa nova sound that often evokes the music of her father, the legendary vocalist/guitarist Joao Gilberto. On the breezy opener, "Baby," Gilberto lovingly adopts some of the vocal mannerisms of the song's writer, the renowned Brazilian troubadour Caetano Veloso, while gentle acoustic guitar guides the tune along. The majority of these songs, however, are penned (at least in part) by Gilberto herself. "Simplesmente" casts a dreamy keyboard-laden spell, while "O Caminho" is a melancholy, piano-driven number. Throughout the album, the focus remains on Gilberto's gorgeously smooth voice as she sings in both Portugese and English. BEBEL GILBERTO finds the vocalist easing even more comfortably into her family's musical heritage, and the result is a relaxed, confident set of songs.