Lura

Eclipse finds Lura in a markedly different mood than the passionate M'bem Di Fora -- or, more precisely, two intertwining moods: mellow and experimental. The album is infused with Cape Verdean rhythms, but it also plays with Afro-pop and highlife, smooth jazz (yikes!) and, on the last track, gut-wrenching electro-tango. It sounds exciting, but most of these diverse elements are filtered through a serene, laidback soundscape that is at times a gorgeous setting for Lura's spun-gold vocals and at other times feels like the passion that voice is capable of is somehow muffled or, perhaps, eclipsed.