Album: Tulipas, Efêmera (Totolo)

Brazil is most famous for its samba and bossa nova, but these days what it does best is intelligent, innovative pop music.

This debut from a young Sao Paolo lass is at first a little off-putting in the way it tries to cozy up to you. But it's saved by off-kilter arrangements, unpredictable chord progressions, and a wayward charm that has made me return to it over and over again. Sometimes child-like (but in a good way), its sophistication is complemented by an admirable lightness of touch.