New Release: Paulo Metello – Normandia (Out now via Paranoia Musique)

Paulo Metello Releases Normandia, His Third Solo Album Blending Post-Punk, Indie, and Transcendence

The new record succeeds Liquid Sky (2019) and Saudades, Memórias & Sonhos Lúcidos (2023), marking the artist's most organic, reflective, and experimental phase.

Rio de Janeiro-based musician Paulo Metello presents Normandia, his third solo album. Succeeding Liquid Sky (2019) and Saudades, Memórias & Sonhos Lúcidos (2023), this new body of work consolidates and, at the same time, expands his sonic identity within contemporary indie and post-punk. Comprising 12 original tracks, the album unfolds as an emotional journey between hope and doubt, alternating through atmospheres of introspection, tension, and redemption.

In Normandia, Metello deepens the signature aesthetic of his career while taking a significant turn toward a more analog, organic, and diverse sound. Electronic incursions appear more discreetly compared to previous albums, making way for raw and direct instrumentation. The songs move naturally between indie and post-punk, while also incorporating less predictable elements: experimental moments, acoustic passages, and genre-defying arrangements coexist with tracks of strong melodic appeal and striking choruses.

The album is sustained by a constant conceptual conflict between the sacred and the profane—a theme that permeates both lyrics and ambiances. In this clash, hope emerges anchored in transcendent values, contrasting with immanent passions and earthly impulses. This duality lends the record a poetic, spiritual, and at times philosophical density that goes beyond mere aesthetic surface, transforming Normandia into a deeply reflective piece of work—without, however, losing its sonic energy and connection to a more tangible reality. As the old maxim goes: head and heart in the sky, feet on the ground.

Sung in both English and Portuguese, the album reveals meticulous care in its melodic construction. Melody plays a central role here, shifting its function between instrumental arrangements and vocal lines: at times leading the emotional narrative of the songs, at others serving as a counterpoint to the harmonic and rhythmic density of the instruments.

The record also features a special appearance by KK Reis, who, in addition to shooting the album's photography, contributes beautiful and unusual vocals on three tracks, adding new atmospheric layers to the compositions. Her presence also extends to the use of a hand-crank music box, a unique sonic element that reinforces the playful and sensory character of the work.

The album is released via the Rio de Janeiro-based independent label Paranoia Musique.

For fans of: Echo & The Bunnymen, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smiths, The Cure, U2 (80s era), Joy Division, New Order, The Church, Psychedelic Furs, David Bowie, Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, T. Rex, Fontaines D.C., Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Rocket, and the like.

Listen to Normandia on digital platforms: Listen now