Boogarins

Boogarins, a four-piece psychedelic rock band, hails from Brazil. Since its inception in 2013 by Dinho Almeida and Benke Ferraz, the group has released two full-length albums that only hint at the possibilities of its dynamic sound. 2015’s Manual ou Guia Livre de Dissolução dos Sonhos (Manual, Or Free Guide to the Dissolution of Dreams) showcased a maturing instrumental control, while also highlighting the exploratory tones, sounds and structures that launched the band onto the scene. With moments that sound, instrumentally, like an edgier Buffalo Springfield, and strong vocals that feature prominently, the recipe for putting together great tracks seems set.

Although Boogarins can be categorized as “psychedelic,” the group’s sound is relatively stripped down. It relies more on overlaying instrumental parts and song structures that allow for floating vocal lines. The laid back tones and simple hooks that lay the foundation of each track put off a bit of a “beach vibe” that trickles out throughout Manual’s 43 minutes.

“San Lorenzo” is an example of this surfer sound. As a straight instrumental, the soft melody that the guitar line provides lends an easy, dreamy aesthetic. The continued sense of exploration is pushed by the sense of floating forward motion that each track takes. “San Lorenzo,” with its floating melody and straight percussion line, still provides a sense of travel and growth.

Boogarins’ projects are sung in Portuguese. Non-speakers may lose some of the deeper meaning that the lyrics provide, especially on an album like Manual. But, treating the album as a free-thought roadmap through which one can tap into a dreamlike or otherworldly experience allows the listener to engage earnestly, language barrier or not.

“6000 Dias” features the same smooth guitar work and definitive melodies that slither throughout the rest of the album. The song finds the band opening up its sound, with Ferraz’s guitar work featured prominently throughout the second half of the track, blistering through a solo that wouldn’t sound out of place in the heydays of the psych rock explosion.

Boogarins has certainly taken steps forward from its initial lo-fi pop sound into a world of growing musical complexity and subtlety. »