Meet Sérgio Nery, a musician from Porto who’s been working on something special for over 30 years. With a background in classical music and teaching, Nery has finally opened his “old trunk” of pop-rock originals and shared them with the world. He’s managed to blend that classical foundation with proper rock music.
“Stories borrowed from strangers, returned as songs we recognize as our own.”
“A NORMAL IDADE” gives you everything you need to know about what Nery does best. The production of the album builds layers of horns, electric guitar, and keys that create this floating feeling. Nery has drawn inspiration from different people he’s encountered and various emotional states he’s observed. This approach gives the album more range than your typical solo artist projects. You’re not just getting one person’s perspective, but the perspectives of different lives and emotions that have crossed his path over the years.
These songs are in Portuguese, so even if you don’t speak the language, there’s something about the way Nery delivers these lyrics that transcends literal understanding. The words become part of the music itself, and you find yourself connecting with the emotion even when you can’t translate every phrase. For an album that spans three decades of writing, “A NORMAL IDADE” holds together remarkably well. There’s no sense that these songs come from wildly different periods or mindsets.
The production strikes that sweet balance between Nery’s classical background and his rock influences. The album’s title, which translates to “The Normal Age,” hints at Nery’s interest in examining what’s considered normal at different points in life. But listening to these songs, you realize there’s nothing particularly normal about the depth of observation and care that went into creating them.
If you’re looking for music with substance, songs that reveal more of themselves over time, and an artist who clearly cares more about the art than the hype, “A NORMAL IDADE” deserves a spot in your collection. This is the kind of album that has the power to make you feel less alone in the world.
Give it a listen and let it grow on you.
Muse Chronicle 
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