Por este rio acima

You don’t have to be proficient in Portuguese or even be familiar with the travel journals this album is based on to understand, right at the beginning, that this music is about traveling, and not just traveling, but dangerous sea voyages. You hear the wind above and the waves beneath the slow, mournful horns and the bright tones of the guitar. Finding a translation of the lyrics would be worth the minimal effort, however. The sinking of a man’s heart is compared to being lost in the depthless, unfeeling sea, for example. And then there are festive songs about the dangers of fishing in the sea or exploring unknown lands with a knife between your teeth. An album that’s as equally festive as it is somber.