1990s
Puzzle of Hearts is an album surprisingly similar to both Djavan and Oceano (both released in 1989), all of which are on Columbia Records, no less. In fact, no less than seven of the nine tracks on Djavan and Oceano (which are essentially the same album) make up the bulk of
Puzzle of Hearts. The new tracks here are the title track, a soft sort of MPB in English, "Being Cool," another English number with a bouncier samba-based rhythm to it, and "Amazon Farewell," one more English work with a thumping bassline underneath a more exotic melody. While the album isn't necessarily particularly original when compared to the items released only a year prior, it's a nice piece of work.
Djavan is one of the greatest figures in modern Brazilian music, and this album (interchangeably with the other two) is a fine choice for a look at his abilities in the early '90s. ~ Adam Greenberg