Arto Lindsay, Invoke (Righteous Babe) 9+
Arto Lindsay is a national treasure whose music is doomed to be under-appreciated until god knows when. From the pioneering no-wave of DNA to the evocative jazz-noise-funk hybrid trilogy (Envy, Greed, Lust) in Ambitious Lovers, Lindsay was already an underground legend by the early nineties. Invoke is the fifth installment a brilliant series of albums that pay tribute to the fertile creativity of Brazil, where the long time New York resident grew up. Much more than an ambassador/historian of Brazilian bossa nova and Tropicália, Lindsay pushes the boundaries by building on the past with more contemporary influences, and creating a sound that is uniquely identifiable as his own. Invoke is a departure from its bossa nova-oriented predecessors, incorporating a wider variety of rhythms and sounds. "Predigo" is a collaboration with Lindsay's favorite contemporary Brazilian band, Nação Zumbi, whose charismatic leader Chico Science was killed in a car crash in 1997. The track is a dizzying mix of Mahavishnu Orchestra-style jazz fusion, hip-hop, funk, distorted guitars and the maracatu rhythm native to the band's home in Pernambuco, where Lindsay coincidentally also lived. The track follows one of the logical conclusions (or beginnings) hinted at with Lindsay's work in Ambitious Lovers. "In The City That Reads" is the other big departure. It's also a collaboration, with a New York group called Animal Collective (Avey Tare and Panda Bear), who contribute ambient sounds and percussion. The invigorating experimentation aside, overall Invoke is much more direct and easier to listen to than recent albums. Rather than covering Prince and Al Green, in "Illuminated" and "Over/Run" Lindsay subtly incorporates some of the production techniques by mainstream hip hop/soul producers like Timbaland. "Invoke" and "You Decide" buzz and percolate with micro-electronic sound affects, reflecting the glitchy electronica innovations of artists like Matmos (who recently collaborated with Bjork). The rhythm in "You Decide" takes you on a complex, herky-jerky carnival ride that is utterly addictive, so long as you don't get woozy. "Uma" is based on a sample of tribal drums from the Bahia region, co-written with Brazilian rising star Lucas Santtana. "Clemency" sees Lindsay at his funkiest, and the minor chord string-led "Unseen" at his most menacing. The album closes with a breezy acoustic cover of the 60 year-old "Beija-me." Invoke takes more risks and is more diverse, and inevitably seems less perfect, particularly compared to the seamless Noon Chill. But by no means is it a disappointment. It's a step forward and over, with harder edges and a weathered soul. An essential addition to a subtle body of work by an important songwriter at the top of his game.
