Coldfinger - Lefthand

Coldfinger
Lefthand
Nortesul Producoes
2000

Production: Joe Fossard, Cardona, Renoiser, Lisbon City Rockers

Personnel: Cardona - acoustic/electric guitar, programming/synths, moog, rhodes, hammond
Margarido Pinto - vocals, rhodes/keyboards

Additional Personnel:
Joe Fossard - mixing, programming
Francisco Rebelo - Bass
Bhuda+Jaws - programming
DJ Cruzfader - scratches and samples
Alexandre Frazao - drums
Adriano - contrabass

www.valentim.pt
sindikat@esoterica.pt

So, I am cruising through the "world music" section of my favourite Rasputin Records outlet (read: World Music = anything not in English), and I always do the same thing....go to the Portuguese section and be disappointed. Having been born of Azorean/Portuguese stock, speaking the language since birth, and having a general affinity for all things Lusophonic, I am almost always let down when cruising through music stores looking for something interesting; they either do not stock anything at all, or only carry very traditional folk stuff (which is not bad, merely leaves the casual observer with a very limited view) or they carry the same four artists:Mariza, Misia, Madredeus, or Amalia Rodrigues. When you consider the only other Portuguese pop musicians most people have heard are folks people don't even think of as Portuguese (i.e. Nelly Furtado, Steve Perry, Nuno Bettencourt, Jason Kay of Jamiroquai), it can get disheartening, especially in lieu of the recent interest in Latin and Brazilian music (not to mention the barefoot diva from Cabo verde, Cesaria Evora). When I saw Coldfinger in the stack I initially thought it was placed there on mistake. I then re-examined it and found it was in fact, really from there, and I just said "Fuck it...I'll take the risk". I am glad to say this has been the best surprise find of the year.

It is not the most original record, but it is certainly one of the most well performed and recorded. It cuts a wide arc of space that encapsulates acid-jazz, funk, drum & bass, soul, trip-hop and abstract electronica into a lush and vibrant palette of rich sound. It goes from bubbly and driven to spooky and intoxicating, and as a bonus, actually pops a song or two in Portuguese....just to make guys like me feel all ethnic. It is too bad that this album will probably never get as wide an exposure as it deserves - it fits wonderfully in my collection left of Portishead and LTJ Bukem and right of Headhunters and the mellower side ofBill Laswell.

So, first lets talk about the vocals (since we're already kind of in that area)...Margarida Pinto is absolutely amazing. Able to teleport from a Beth Gibbons-style distraught drone to a seductive and sultry Shirley Bassey-esque growl that seems to have caused the elastic in my underwear to melt (it helps that what few photos I've been able to find -all headshots- seem to indicate that Margarida in definately within the hottie range of the feminine spectrum). She can seem distant and so close as to be seeping under you skin at the same time. I was really surprised not only at the expressiveness of her vocals, but that she seems to sing equally well in English as she does Portugues - all the tracks but 2 are in English.

I cannot tell where her Fender Rhodes playing ends and Cardona's begins, but the both seem to have been listening to a lot of Herbie Hancock circa the Sextant/Thrust period. I would like to note, this is a good thing. All of the various keyboard sounds are not overbearing - layered, but sparse so as to fill up the sound without hampering its movement under its own weight. Complimenting this is the regular contributions by bassist Francisco Rebelo, who has a very warm, organic bottom-end to weave through the synths and samples. Cardona does a more than adequate job on guitars, opting for textures and sound sculpturing a la Stuart Mattewman of Sade and Maxwell fame, rather than funking too heavily or resorting to wah-wah pedal wankery. The beats -whether helped along by trap-kit man Alexandre Frazao, or drum-programmed by several folks- is minimalist and narcotic. You will not be pummelled by backbeats or bludgeoned with hyperactive breaks; just addictive rhythm and stealth.

The opening track, Para Um Poema is a great start - slow, brooding and luxurious. It sets the mood through the next few songs (Beauty of You, CBlues, and DFuse Line) until Lucky Star kicks in with some high-bpm drum & bass goodness...frenetic, punchy, and full of the requisite underwater ping sounds and stop-start beat splicing that is indicative of many practicioners of the genre, although this time replete with upright bass that anchors the groove well. Liquid sounds like its title, but it is also a very dark and claustrophobic track that uses Margarida's menacing vocals and symphonic string samples to force it's hard beat science on you. It, along with Crimes is very reminiscient of much of the work of UK techno-demigods Leftfield, minus the heavy dub influence. Mondo is sung in a scat style over a sneaky brush-beat and periodic hip-hop assistance via DJ Cruzfader (who I think has also been listening to Herbie Hancock - mostly Future Shock I would guess, since it almost seems likes he's copping licks from Rockit). B.Comi comes off a little contrived and lacking direction; it sounds too much like Portishead played at double speed. Mood Turb is a bluesy, bubbly track with hammond organ and a jazzy feel that's obscured by smoke and alcohol and makes you think you've been airdropped into a Cool-Jazz joint run by Lenny White and A Tribe Called Quest, a mood that is revisited on the album close, The Tree and The Bird. Duke Interlude and Trans Interlude are interesting half-baked ideas that would have been better off either fleshed out further or left off the album, but aren't too distracting thankfully.

So as I write this I have had the cd on a continuous loop...it just keeps getting better with each listen. It never second guesses, it starts you off casually, builds you up, let's you glide comfortably, gives you a nudge here and there - and never lets it's deep embrace constrict or diffuse. All in all one of the best offerings of its kind (in any language).

Muito prazer Coldfinger.