Cavalo

Cavalo marks the solo debut of Rodrigo Amarante, a pivotal figure in modern Brazilian music. Following the hiatus of Los Hermanos and the breezy indie-pop success of Little Joy, Amarante relocated to Los Angeles, and Cavalo is the direct result of that displacement. The album is a multilingual exploration of exile and identity, featuring lyrics in Portuguese, English, and French. Critics have noted its departure from the anthemic rock of his youth, praising its 'chamber folk' sensibilities and its debt to the minimalist end of the MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) spectrum. Recorded primarily by Amarante himself, the album emphasizes a 'lo-fi hi-fi' aesthetic where the imperfections of the room and the mechanical sounds of the instruments are preserved. It has been synthesized by critics as a landmark of 2010s folk, bridging the gap between traditional Latin American songwriting and modern indie-folk experimentalism.