Thievery Corporation - Saudade (2014)

There’s no English analog for the Portuguese word saudade, which translates roughly to a melancholic longing for someone or something from the past. The term so aptly fits Thievery Corporation’s oeuvre (always wistful and dreamy) that it’s a wonder this is the first time the D.C. duo have employed it as an album title. Looking to the sounds of Brazil–bossa nova, samba, tropicalia–for their seventh long-player, longtime musical partners Rob Garza and Eric Hilton deliver a set that evokes shimmering seascapes and poolside cocktails. It’s the kind of album James Bond would put on for a romantic evening in Rio.

Saudade‘s expressive acoustic guitars and placid string arrangements meld sweetly with delicate synths and gentle percussion, as a rotating cast of five female vocalists coo sensuous melodies. While many of these songs (“Quem Me Leva,” the title track) are bold adventurers into new sonic territory, others, such as “Depth of My Soul” and “Firelight,” are vintage Thievery Corporation with a Brazilian twist: deeply groovy and endlessly mesmerizing.