One of Brazil's greatest musical exports has returned with his sound taking yet another turn. Cê, (which is the colloquialism for você or "you") is a stripped-down rock record. Thankfully, it bears no resemblance to the digitally over-edited and predictable rock music of modern times. The sound is unfettered to studio trickery; the sound is clear, aggressive and alive. Veloso bypasses the stalemate of rock and brings us a masterpiece that is simple yet limitless in its approach.

The resourcefulness of Veloso's voice transcends the anodyne of Brazilian samba or bossa nova singing. His smoothness and grace on cuts like "Minhas Lágrimas" (My Tears) or "Não Me Arrependo" (I Don't Regret) gives way to the frantic "Rocks" or the severe bite of "O Herói" (The Hero). On "Musa Híbrida" (Hybrid Muse) his voice is percussive when he sings, "cúprica, cúprica, cúprica" repeatedly. This complements the wah-wah guitar that percolates out joyous yet short electric pops.

Cê is full of emotional complexity with intense crests and somber troughs. Lyrically, there seems to be a sense of loss, regret, and anguish which could prompt one to call it loosely a "break-up" record. There is an aching sadness to "Deusa Urbana" (Urban Goddess) as it opens and ends with the quiet toll-like ring of the guitar. With lyrics that are both strange and poetic, Veloso sings: "Purple mucous, chest color of rolls, its kiss, its text, its chin, its coat, its thigh". This oblique tribute is then burst apart with the scathing ending of, "Odeio" (I Hate) where he repeats "odeio você" over and over.

Unfortunately, this pain and anger is lost on foreign ears as the rollicking guitar rhythms and suave vocal delivery of "Odeio" undermine the level of emotion embedded in the lyrics. The punchy, almost march-like "Homem" (Man) is matched by equally feisty words: "I'm not jealous of maternity, or of lactation. I'm not jealous of adiposity, or of menstruation. I only envy longevity, and multiple orgasms."

In "Minhas Lágrimas," there is a similar bond between the quiet intensity of continuous trembling guitar and the poetic lyrics where a miniscule, yet precious tableau is born. The frugal description of a Los Angeles airport serves as the backdrop for heartache. A listener knows nothing more than, "the souvenir of the white of a page... where my tears fall," but somehow a much larger picture is created.

The intimacy of Cê ends abruptly with the closing social-political "O Herói." Veloso rants throughout the song with wild abandon, "I am the cordial man that came to affirm the racial democracy, I am the hero, god and I only know, I eat, I ache." The song ends with discordant voices filling the space, exalting Veloso's words. Sounding unsurprisingly like his 1972 experimental masterpiece, "Araçá Azul," "O Herói" captures Caetano in a similar mood of musical curiosity.

Cê sounds unlike his previous work, yet not obfuscated by the change in direction. Veloso does not succumb to the trappings of rock, but is envigorated by the infusion of genres. He finds in each song or change of texture, a niche where his own original sound and spirit thrives. This is another exciting chapter in a career that is bulging with musical surprises and creative exploration. Caetano Veloso wields the elements of rock music as is his prowess; he is not overpowered by them. Cê provides this evidence.

Other recommended releases by Caetano Veloso:

A Foreign Sound (2004) - An all English record of covers. From Cole Porter to Dylan to Nirvana.

Caetano Veloso (1968) - The record that introduced the world to the Tropicalia movement.