Aquáticos by Fabiano Do Nascimento and E Ruscha V (Review)

This might sound like I’m damning the album with faint praise, but when I say that Aquáticos — the new collaboration between Brazilian guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento and L.A.-based producer Eddie Ruscha — is a pleasant album, that’s no small thing in my book. Maybe it’s because I just turned 50, or because we’re all currently living in the worst timeline, but the duo’s blend of fluid guitar-work and lushly detailed atmospherics has turned out to be precisely what I need these days: a gentle oasis of sound that’s comforting without being kitschy.

And what, exactly, do I mean by “comforting without being kitschy”? Consider the album’s second track, “Rain,” which finds Do Nascimento layering gently sweeping guitar cascades against fluttering bleeps and beats. Meanwhile, shimmering modular synths give the entire song a watery, illusory feel that’s in-line with the album’s artwork, as if the song is this close to trickling out of existence. In the hands of less-skilled artists, “Rain” could easily devolve into muzak, the sort of sonic pap that you might hear while on hold with your kid’s orthodontist. But Do Nascimento and Ruscha continually evolve their sonics, drawing you deeper in without ever grabbing you or beating you over the head. (See also “Imerso,” which is filled with rippling and shimmering waves of acoustic guitar and oceanic synth-work.)

In fact, I can’t imagine this album forcing anything upon you. Which, again, might seem like I’m damning it with faint praise. But Aquáticos is the sort of album that you can just relax into, particularly on album highlight “Purpose.” Do Nascimento’s gentle guitar is the first thing you hear, followed by fluctuating drones that evoke the sky just starting to tinge with the colors of sunset. As the song unfurls — I can think of no better word to describe what happens here — the duo’s soundscapes grow more vast and expansive, with clear, ringing piano notes becoming the structure around which the duo’s sonic filigrees entwine. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to “Purpose,” but I feel like I hear something new every time, and it’s already a contender for my favorite song of 2026.

Are there moments where Aquáticos gets too light and frilly — too pleasant — for its own good? Sure, I guess. But honestly, I’m OK with that. Given everything that’s going on in the country right now, it’s a blessing to have some music that doesn’t demand, challenge, or impose itself upon you. Rather, Do Nascimento and Ruscha just focus on creating rich soundscapes that gambol through the worlds of ambient, electronic, and chillout music with the sort of carefreeness that only comes when you’re masters of your craft.