Paula Toller: Paula Toller

A Mature Repertoire

Just for the fun of it, Paula Toller wanted to do a solo album. The singer from Kid Abelha was given the opportunity by Warner, and started to pick out the songs she wanted to record. A day off from Kid Abelha. The album turned out to do more justice to the warm voice of the singer than the Kid Abelha repertoire. The unfortunate thing is that Paula kind of worked the same way she’s used to with Kid. The use of electronic drums is seldom the best option. Things start funky with “Derretendo Satélites,” which she wrote with Herbert Vianna. The disarming voice of Paula is always a joy to hear, whatever she sings. Her sensual and mellow vocal approach in this composition, combined with the relaxed acoustic guitar by Herbert Vianna, compensates for the use of a drum machine. The spacey arrangement of the Howard evergreen “Fly Me To The Moon” shows that Paula is very well capable of finding her way through the classics. “Eu Só Quero Um Xodó” (Dominguinhos – Anastácia) is another one of those classics. Because Paula didn’t want these songs to sound too familiar, contemporary arrangements were used. And again, unfortunately enough that also means a programmed drum machine. This is one of the songs that would have sounded so much better using one of the great drummers from Brazil. Still, the voice sounds wonderful again on this song. “Oito Anos” wouldn’t do bad on a Kid Abelha album. Maybe it’s because the lyrics are too personal, that Paula decided this song to be on her own album. Lyrics are based around the vital questions her eight-year-old son Gabriel comes up with. Responded by an annoying “Well well well, Gabriel”. “Alguém Me Avisou” forms a rocky intro to the beautiful ballad “1800 Colinas.” One of the highlights on the album is the song Carmen Miranda made famous “E o Mundo Não Se Acabou.” Paula grew up listening to samba and clearly feels a love for it. The arrangements again are fresh, but with a healthy dose of respect for the original character of the song. Same can be said about Noel Rosa’s “Onde Está a Honestidade,” which sounds just great, perfectly interpreted by Paula Toller. Guns ‘n Roses “Patience” sounds a bit misplaced on this album. This English sung ballad (complete with slide guitar) seems like an odd choice. Nevertheless, it’s striking how the voice of Paula Toller always dominates the color of each song she touches, which makes her a great singer. Something that’s also proved on the friendly “Cantar.” The melancholic and sweet vocals make you long for the next song. But unfortunately, that’s it. A short album (35 minutes), but enough to realize Paula Toller is more than capable to dive into more mature repertoire. One can only hope a next solo project will be on its way soon, with emphasis on the samba… However, the singer stated that she does not intend to start a solo career. This was just for fun…