A few years ago, Bebel Gilberto went through a rebellious phase. Instead of following her father João's conventional bossanova path (or even stepmom Astrud's conventional bossanova female vocalist path), she pimped herself out to a host of electronic producers. Her most notable turns were on ex-Deee-Lite DJ Towa Tei's first two records, which featured her off-the-wall Portuguese chant of "Technova," her hyper take on the bossa standard "Batucada," and her kitschy, loungy remake Hall & Oates' superhit, "Private Eyes." Of course, her "rebellion" wasn't nearly as radical as, say, joining a neo-riot grrl band. Nonetheless, it seemed that by merely making a few quirky guest appearances, Bebel was determined to prove herself anything but traditional.

But with Bebel's debut solo LP, Tanto Tempo, she proves herself a good daughter. For the most part, the record is rooted in a traditional bossanova style and only lightly dusted with electronic beats and effects. Recent turns by the Sea and Cake and Ian Pooley (both great albums, to be sure) incorporated a Brazilian tinge to pepper their already defined sounds. Here, the opposite is done, perhaps to even greater success.

Gilberto's voice is a marvel; it's always strong, sometimes sleepy and soothing, and never too saccharine. It exudes enough emotion to obliterate any language barrier (Gilberto sings mostly in Portuguese); I honestly have no idea what she's saying throughout the bulk of this album, and it never matters-- she does all the work for the listener.

Her voice dances over the upbeat samba track "Sem Contenção." She has the ability to take the standard, "So Nice (Summer Samba)"-- a track made noteworthy by Astrud Gilberto-- and without much altering, claim it as her own. Tanto Tempo's most elegant moment comes with "Samba e Amor." A stripped down number featuring only Gilberto and an acoustic guitar, the song is a crowning achievement for her stellar voice.

Though Tanto Tempo's electronic components may be easy to ignore, as they are very much in the background, they're notable. Late Brazilian producer Suba was at the production helm for the majority of the record, and his adroit integration of 21st century beats into a more traditional jazz sound is much appreciated. "Samba da Benção," co-produced by Amon Tobin, adds a trip-hoppy freshness to the mix. Similarly, "August Day Song" is spruced up and made haunting by the implementation of a computerized beat-shuffle. The only time the electronic integration gets in the way is on "Alguém." Here, Suba's abundant beats are at odds with Gilberto's voice, and the result is a messy fusion.

Of course, it's conceivable that the entirety of Tanto Tempo could have turned out as confused as "Alguém." As it turns out, though, the record ends up a respectful, subtly progressive album-- a gift from a talented crooner. I'm sure her parents are proud.

-Richard M. Juzwiak