Natalia Clavier
Lumen (Nacional)Growing up in Argentina, Natalia Clavier fell in love with jazz immortal Sarah Vaughan. She specializes in the same sort of downtempo grooves constructed by longtime collaborators Thievery Corporation and husband Federico Aubele, but the underlying jazz aesthetic remains. The Brooklyn-based singer possesses an ethereal voice and feathery touch, at home blending into the swirling compositions of producer Adrian Quesada rather not overpowering them. On “Cantata,” a headphone masterpiece featuring Brooklyn DJ/producer Ursula 1000, Clavier’s lovely la-la-la’s dance atop a pulsating bassline and hodgepodge of percussion. That same warmth steadies the warbling dubstep of the title track. The dizzying psych-rock of “Adios!” – a Spanish-language reinvention of a traditional Turkish tune – features the singer alongside Quesada’s Echocentrics, occupying the same sun-baked space that Clavier helped craft on their debut. Lumen is a leap forward from 2008’s Nectar, and a remarkably cohesive work drawing on everything from tango to house and hip-hop. (9pm, Palm Door on Sixth)
This article appears in March 14 • 2014.
