Miss Perfumado

For longing that feels refreshing rather than painful, Miss Perfumado would be its soundtrack. Lilting guitars frolic around each other like children. Delicate piano solos and the moan of a violin pull at the melodies. But it's Cape Verdean artist Evora's honey-soaked voice that is the heart of these gorgeous songs. As the most accomplished morna singer-a style combines Portuguese fado music with West African rhythms-it sounds like a cross between gentle bossa nova and the blues-she expresses the pain of longing without sounding damaged by it. Her mature and evocative performances conjure these tales of lost loves, yearning, and the call of the sea. Immersive and mystical throughout, Miss Perfumado transcends language to sip at the universal sea of desire and make torch songs taste sweet.