Quebra Mola (Brazil) [Audio CD] Mola, Tony

Tony Mola and his percussion-driven band Bragada have pushed the drumming sounds of Bahia, Brazil, as far as anyone in the nation with the possible exception of Carlinhos Brown. On this second album for the band, Mola has pushed the envelope again, with a hot electro-acoustic sound, still firmly grounded in the percussionists, but full of synthesizers, electric guitars, throbbing bass lines from a tuba player, synth drums, a roaring horn section, and a big backing chorus. Guest input includes accordions, flutes, and cavaquinho. The band covers a lot of stylistic territory, from the older axé to ripping new pop. This last piece is a Brown composition called "Tribal DDD," attacked with incredible verve by the drummers and singers, driven by the tuba-bass and swirling accordion into a northeastern carnival frenzy. In classic Brazilian style, Mola injects everything into the mix; rock, jazz, ragamuffin, and hip-hop all sneak in unexpectedly. One offering mixes a distinct R&B swing with a slowed-down forró groove for an unusual ballad. Mola is always stretching the limits, and this album, while a slick production (one could argue the cloying redundancy of synths and synth drums in such a band), is a vital, sometimes visceral experience. --Louis Gibson