Tropicalia pioneer Caetano Veloso treads a fair amount of stylistic ground on his 2001 album NOITES DE NORTE, from the chamber pop of the title track to the reggae-inflected groove of Jorge Ben's "Zumbi" (the only non-Veloso composition here) and the Lou Reed-learns-Portuguese electric impact of "Rock `n' Raul". But regardless of the eclectic route, the one thing that Veloso brings wherever he goes is that one-of-a-kind voice, floating atop each track with a grace, a flexibility, and often, a sensuality that mark him as one of Brazil's finest vocalists. And that's not even mentioning his songwriting skills, which are on ample display throughout NOITES DO NORTE as well, shifting through subtle harmonic dynamics to uncover deceptively effortless-seeming melodic inventions at every turn.|

Rovi