We close the week with a lovely and uncontroversial song from Angola.

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Juana Giaimo: The delicate guitar melody and the subtle beat build a quiet base for the vocals to develop with all their force, but sometimes they are a little bit too dramatic, especially when they sing together and it gets too messy. 
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Joshua Minsoo Kim: The post-production work may not be the best, but “Alma Gêmea” is able to stun because its vocal performances are filled with so much vigor. The winding guitar melodies are just as passionate, constantly moving in and out of the mix like they’re part of a free-spirited, unpretentious jam session. In their hard-panning is a homey appeal that makes the track feel incredibly intimate.
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Iris Xie: This song just sounds so wholesome. The guitar is fluent and nimble and the singers are earnest. What’s also impressive is how understated they are, with the way Halison Paixão and Filho do Zua back up each other with their version of call and response vocals, that allows for contrasting the timbres of their voices, one which seems sweeter and the other huskier. With them switching off, it helps raise the elation of the sentiments to a much deeper degree, and it results in a chorus that has some impressive harmonizing that gives the feeling of an equanimous sharing. It doesn’t change up much, but it gives off more a feeling of being able to just sink into the song rather than unfinished repetition. Breezy and unstressful.
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Thomas Inskeep: I love the finger-picked guitar on this romantic, midtempo, Angolan R&B cut — and I love even more that the romance oozes through the vocals, even though I don’t speak Portuguese. You can hear all you need to know in Paixão and do Zua’s gorgeous singing, rich and sweet.
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Tim de Reuse: Paixão is belting it out in a joyous, free-form tumble from the word go, like he’s so overwhelmed with joy that he can’t contain himself. That sounds great, and it’s pleasant for a little while, but with nowhere to build to and no real moments of contrast it can’t sustain the experience — ditto for the aggressively sunny backing track.
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Ramzi Awn: The single features the kind of melody that doesn’t rely on its surroundings, a testament to the songwriting behind it. And it’s a good thing, too — the beat skips along erratically, its techno parts clashing with the rhythm. The juxtaposition is more a commentary on the times than anything else, and you get the sense that the tune would have sounded better if it had come out years ago. Still, Halison Paixão and Filho do Zuashine shine through. 
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Alfred Soto: Well sung but I can’t escape the impression that the arrangement’s stuffed to death. 
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