The pool that Sessa draws on here is life-affirming, colourful, and zesty. The execution, however, leans towards a jam-style vibiness that sadly tails off into an innocuous blur. ‘Dor Fodida’ especially possesses pleasant tools, but Sessa layers them in such a way that each has its soul cooled by a flavour-deficient tone. There are instances of beauty, as the instruments cosy up to each other and Sessa’s delicate, delightful voice surfs them with the Brazilian sun beating down on both him and the ocean. They are lovely in their own right, but inadvertently undercut the more numbered points of slowly sinking dreariness.
18/30
A favourite: ‘Canção da Cura’
Estrela Acesa is out now via Mexican Summer.
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