Saudade (Thievery Corporation album)

Saudade (Portuguese for "Longing") is the seventh studio album by Washington DC electronica duo Thievery Corporation released in 2014 via their Eighteenth Street Lounge Music label.

Saudade
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 25, 2014
Recorded2014
Genre
Length42:10
LabelESL Music
ProducerChristopher "Stone" Garrett
Thievery Corporation chronology
Culture of Fear
(2011)
Saudade
(2014)
The Temple of I & I
(2017)

Eric Hilton, the band's co-founder, called Saudade his favorite Thievery album, saying "it's one of the more unusual records by an electronic music artist. I don't think any other electronic music artist would make a record like that one."[1]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
The Australian     [3]
Clash5/10[4]
Consequence of SoundC[5]
The Observer     [6]
Record Collector     [7]
Spectrum Culture     [8]
Spin2/10[9]
The Upcoming     [10]

Saudade was lukewarmly received by most reviewers, with outliers included a critic from The Australian that called it "a complex, sensual release paying homage to bossa nova but containing a contemporary edge injected by two who know how to push boundaries in style,"[3] and a two-out-of-ten Spin magazine review that consisted entirely of a portion of a Wikipedia article about Sushi.[9] Record Collector called the album "as light and refreshing as Brazilian lemonade," praising the use of "international players who know their cassavas."[7] AllMusic's David Jeffries wrote the album had "a fine set of wistful tunes and suitable, alluring singers" but was a mixed bag in terms of mixing that made the bossa nova tracks more "hot" than "warm."[2]

Commercial performance

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In the United States, Saudade sold 7,000 copies in its first week, leading it to debut at number-two on the country's Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart; this led the group to tie with Dutch producer Armin van Buuren at fifth-place for the most top-ten hits on the chart at nine albums.[11]

Track listing

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  1. "Décollage" (featuring Lou Lou Ghelichkhani) – 3:23
  2. "Meu Nêgo" (featuring Karina Zeviani) – 3:21
  3. "Quem Me Leva" (featuring Elin Melgarejo) – 3:29
  4. "Firelight" (featuring Lou Lou Ghelichkhani) – 3:33
  5. "Sola in Città" (featuring Elin Melgarejo) – 2:27
  6. "No More Disguise" (featuring Lou Lou Ghelichkhani) – 3:28
  7. "Saudade"
  8. "Claridad" (featuring Natalia Clavier) – 3:44
  9. "Nós Dois" (featuring Karina Zeviani) – 3:03
  10. "Le Coeur" (featuring Lou Lou Ghelichkhani) – 3:04
  11. "Para Sempre" (featuring Elin Melgarejo) – 2:58
  12. "Bateau Rouge" (featuring Lou Lou Ghelichkhani) – 4:09
  13. "Depth of My Soul" (featuring Shana Halligan) – 3:23

Personnel

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Vocals

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  • Lou Lou Ghelichkhani (1,4,6,10,12)
  • Karina Zeviani (2,9)
  • Elin Melgarejo (3,5,11)
  • Natalia Clavier (8)
  • Shana Halligan (13)

Instrumentation

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  • Bass – Conrado Bokoles, Eric Hilton, Federico Aubele, Justin Parrott
  • Drums – Jeff Franca, Mike Lowery
  • Guitar – Conrado Bokoles, Federico Aubele, Mateo Monk, Rob Garza
  • Horns – Frank Mitchell, Jr.
  • Keyboards – Enea Diotaiuti, Rob Garza
  • Percussion – Jeff Franca, Roberto Santos
  • Strings – Columbia Heights Ensemble
  • All other instruments by Eric Hilton and Rob Garza

Charts

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Chart performance for Saudade
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] 51
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[13] 185
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[14] 15
UK Albums (OCC)[15] 78
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[16] 14
US Billboard 200[17] 58
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[18] 15
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[19] 2

References

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  1. ^ "Decoding the Message: An Interview with Thievery Corporation, PopMatters". 7 March 2017.
  2. ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Saudade – Thievery Corporation". AllMusic. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  3. ^ a b McNamara, Tim (March 28, 2014). "Saudade (Thievery Corporation)". The Australian. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  4. ^ Younis, Reef (May 12, 2014). "Thievery Corporation – Saudade". Clash. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  5. ^ Staples, Derek (April 3, 2014). "Thievery Corporation – Saudade". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  6. ^ Spencer, Neil (April 5, 2014). "Thievery Corporation: Saudade review – 'hushed bossa nova perfect for campfires'". The Observer. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Smith, Paul. "Saudade". Record Collector. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Goller, Josh (May 5, 2014). "Thievery Corporation: Saudade". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Kamps, Garrett (April 1, 2014). "Review: Thievery Corporation, 'Saudade'". Spin. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  10. ^ Sims, Alexandra (April 5, 2014). "Thievery Corporation – Saudade". The Upcoming. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  11. ^ Murray, Gordon (April 10, 2014). "Thievery Corporation, Zedd Zoom On Dance Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  12. ^ "Ultratop.be – Thievery Corporation – Saudade" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  13. ^ "Ultratop.be – Thievery Corporation – Saudade" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  14. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Thievery Corporation – Saudade". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  16. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  17. ^ "Thievery Corporation Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  18. ^ "Thievery Corporation Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  19. ^ "Thievery Corporation Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.