Album Review: SOFI TUKKER – BREAD

Florida-based house music duo SOFI TUKKER return with their third studio album, BREAD.  The GRAMMY-nominated dance duo of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, who release BREAD through Ultra label, have a brand of mixing various musical influences and incorporating them into an array of dance music styles.  The title BREAD is not an LP dedicated to baked goods, but rather an acronym for “Be Really Energetic And Dance”, so let’s see if BREAD has the ingredients to rise to the occasion (sorry)!!

Beginning with the title track, BREAD has a distinct Latin feel, with Spanish-style guitars dominating in both the tempo, lovely light vocals – get used to this… the Latin house track style pops up very regularly throughout the album.  Next up, Throw Some Ass – the second single released from the album, feels like the lyrics are rather suggestive (but apparently is about back pain) with light vocals over an interesting Brazilian funk/ euro-pop hybrid beat, replete with Brazilian-Portuguese rapping (get used to that – it’s a common theme for the album too).  Hi-hats dominate this classic mainstream house track (i.e. bass wasn’t prominent enough) in Guardian Angel (Stand By You), and this is followed by easily the best track on the album, Hey Homie.  The recent single release is a stand-up quality chilled DnB track, in a very DJ Marky style (who’s Brazilian, BTW).

Next up, Woof.  Kah-Lo adds some great lyrics over this Latin-esque Groove Armada-cross track (more of those Brazilian-Portuguese lyrics/rapping too), and this is backed up by more Latin House feels for Goddess In Disguise, with MC Bola adding yet more Brazilian rapping.  A classic 1990s trance beginning to Spiral progresses to a house/trance track which feeling it’s come straight out of the late 1990s, and this retro feeling continues to the Chicago house inspired Cafuné (with yet more Brazilian rapping), and the more funky Latin house Jacaré, which means ‘alligator’ in Portuguese, and derogatory slang in Brazil for women who “like” women – this track is a bit generic and instantly forgettable.  Finally, we have Perfect Someone, which is easily the second best track on the album.  Starting with classical riffing, it moves to a thumping, minimalist house beat, weaving in various orchestral solo instrumentations over the synth beat.  The vocal styles of the 1920s cabaret act.  Ends strong easily the second best track on the album.

BREAD is clearly heavily influenced by the bands time in Brazil… a little too heavily influenced for my liking.  I’m not a huge fan of generic Latin house, and despite the clear and heavy effect Brazilian music had on the album, I was taken aback at the lack of Sergio Mendes influence be heard (undoubtedly Brazil’s most famous musician).  There were some great tracks – Hey Homie and Perfect Someone were easily the standouts… though Woof deserves an honourable mention – the rest was, for me, just a melange of Brazilian rap and Latin house throughout, with other elements brought in on a track by track basis.  I will be adding the previously mentioned tracks to my 2024 album review playlist, but I honestly won’t miss the rest.  I have no doubt this album will be a smash in Brazil, but for me BREAD kneaded more… a few crumbs of comfort but not a loaf-changing experience!! (OK enough of these bread puns, Graeme).

Graeme R