Skip to main content

Carvalho: A Warm Mix of Intellect and Groove from a Multi-Talented Creative Force

 
Carvalho 'All the Things You Know To Be True?' reviewAre you looking for an artist that feeds the head and the heart as well as the feet?  An artist influenced by such greats as Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Me'Shell Ndegéocello and shares their ethos of 'music and message'?  A singer with charisma and talent in equal abundance?  If the answer is yes (and I hope it is), check out Carvalho.  

A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Carvalho has played with esteemed artists including The Jones Girls; Original Son; and Ocean Colour Scene's Steve White.

He has also collaborated with numerous overseas artists, including South Africa's Nutty Nys.  He also fronts the funk band Xtended Family.


2017 Update: Carvalho Releases 'Soul New' (Youtube Video Review)

His album 'All the Things You Know To Be True?' released in April of this year pays homage to musical inspirations and traditions whilst showing more than enough individuality and personality to win over listeners on the first play. 

Throughout the project, Carvalho is able to balance the sometimes seemingly opposite ends of the artistic spectrum - contemporary and classical, educational and entertaining, serious and witty, with apparent ease.

Carvalho is able to balance the sometimes seemingly opposite ends of the artistic spectrum - contemporary and classical, educational and entertaining, serious and witty, with apparent ease. 

Production wise, the lead single 'Lovin U' sets the tone.  A smooth, funky synth and lush strings are the perfect accompaniment to Carvalho's lilting vocals, somewhat reminiscent of icons Don E and Maxi Priest.  This sweet serenade leads nicely into the next cut, 'Equation', which makes great use of a West Coast groove as Carvalho takes the UK education system to task.

Carvalho 'All the Things You Know To Be True?' reviewThis mix of straightforward social commentary, polished production, memorable hooks and silky melody continues for the rest of the album.  Whilst the project is very strong and cohesive throughout, immediate standouts include 'People n Bull$£!t' in which Carvalho, over a jazzy, foot-stomping production, asks '...what shall it be? the guns or the babies? deluded by the concept of power...move on, move on...'; and 'Lovesong' in which he makes singing '...economic strategy / touched by religious fervor / complex reality / will we ever see / USA...United States of Africa?' sound easy.

The UK has long been known for producing soul music which is both thought-provoking and dance-inducing; Carvalho is clearly both a student of this rich musical school as well as being one of it's brightest contemporary stars.







To buy 'All the Things You Know To Be True?' on iTunes click here.
For more info on Carvalo, check out Versify Music: versifymusic.com/carvalho Check out Carvalho on soundcloud: soundcloud.com/carvalho 

For all featured artists click here.

NB: Originally Published 09 October 2013

Popular posts from this blog

About The New Beatmaker

Hi!  I'm Lee.  Welcome to my blog.  Here we talk music: news, reviews, interviews, tips, tutorials and more.  I'm also working on the upcoming podcast  Influenced  as a guest, writer and researcher alongside music aficionado Mark Williams and friends.  Watch this space! I have been a lover of music for as long as I can remember, an amateur lyricist for 25 years, a music writer for 15 years and a hobbyist musician and blogger for almost 10 years. My tastes range from jazz to house to hip hop and I love helping artists from all genres develop their sound. My music, videos, reviews and interviews have been featured in a variety of magazines and websites, including: B-Boy Tech Report Gimme That Beat Humanhuman Audio Skills Dream House Beats Where Did the Road Go Beat Tape Co-Op Push Power Promo Drum Magazine You can find my music on Bandcamp: Monkey Mind Sounds AKA LeeTNB And you can find me on Facebook: The New Beatmaker page Lee's personal page
MORE »

The Theory For Our Revenge 'OBORO'

REVIEW: Japanese multimedia art duo make a great first impression with their mix of industrial, trap and operatic pop The following is a paid for review and post, via humanhuman (see below).  It is always an honour and a pleasure to receive new music to check out and review; especially  when it's as enjoyable a listening experience as this first offering from The Theory For Our Revenge is. The Theory For Our Revenge are COLD FAITH and Jhas; a Japanese music production, fashion stylist and visual art duo The Theory For Our Revenge are COLD FAITH and Jhas; a Japanese music production, fashion stylist and visual art duo. Their debut single ,'OBORO', is a slice of experimental electro-trap / operatic-art-pop. Starting with an industrial sounding chugging and churning, the track moves into frosty, haunting melodies. It's in these opening bars that the only potential hiccup occurs. Around the 0:38 and 1:12 marks there's a jagged synth whistle which i
MORE »

Georgel ‘Colibrí’

REVIEW: 'Colibrí' highlights Georgel’s potential as a superstar in the making It is always an honour and a pleasure to receive new music to check out and review; especially when it's as enjoyable a listening experience as Georgel’s ‘Colibri’. A slice of swaggering, sensual, big band pop, ‘Colibri’ is a superb offering from the singer songwriter.     ‘Colibrí’ immediately demands listener attention thanks to punchy horn stabs, satisfying drum fills and Georgel’s strong vocals.  Listener attention is maintained throughout due to the athletic and theatrical flair of both vocals and instrumentation. These theatrics never descend into ham or kitsch. The hook is slinky and sensual, adding an extra layer to an already super-enjoyable cut. The memorable arrangement and vocals, together with professional mixing and mastering mean the song would be as much at home in a big-budget Hollywood musical or Broadway show as it would be on your favourite music streaming servi
MORE »