Track of the Week: Bloom // Afonso
With a love for life and song in his heart, Portuguese croon Afonso is sharing his passion with the masses. The solo project began when Afonso relocated to London, UK, and has since received critical acclaim from Clash Magazine, When The Horn Blows, The Most Radicalist and The Other Side Reviews. Merging elements of soul and jazz, the singer-songwriter has been compared to the likes of Moses Sumney and Lianne La Havas. The latest addition to his repertoire, and our Track of the Week, is the single ‘Bloom’.
Romantic and filled with lust, ‘Bloom’ explores the blooming of a new relationship in a reflective and insightful way – pun intended. Incorporating a strong underlying drumbeat with piano and percussion, multi-instrumentalist Afonso creates a hazy ambience that ensnare a listener’s senses dragging them down into a whirl of sensual music. It’s as if you are falling from a dizzy heat into a cascade of flowing water.
While the instrumentation does infiltrate every pore with its intimate execution, it is Afonso’s silky vocals that embody the true soul meets jazz influence in ‘Bloom’. Taking me back to the days when I had Sade on repeat, Afonso adds a sensuality to the track that seems to lay itself atop the melody like a shining gossamer blanket.
Symbolic and evocative, one can easily lose yourself in ‘Bloom’; in fact, all of Afonso’s songs are completely hypnotic with a laidback charm of haunting vocals atop a polished tune.