Customer Reviews

Flo'Ology

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Floetry are ahead of so many contemporary R&B acts in a number of ways. First, rather than being within the box, like the formula many producers have crafted for R&B divas, Floetry choose to looks outside of the box, with one half devoted to pipes and the other devoted to poetry and alterative rap, etc... Furthermore, rather than trying to sooth couples to the dance floor, Floetry look to preserve the "sanctity" of soul, an avenue that only few singers try today and successfully pull it off (Angie Stone, Alicia Keys, Vivian Green, Jill Scott, etc...).

FLO'OLOGY itself is a good representation of the neo-soul movement and for the most part, it is a very good album. There are some hits and unfortunately, there are some misses which weigh down what would be an exceptional affair with no strings attached. However, there are flaws with this ambitious, innovative group, as with many albums.
First of all, some of the selections on this album tend to exceed the 5 minute mark and sometimes, that not only makes the track boring and drag on too long, it also ruins what was potentially a better track. With that said, there are some key tracks on this album that do past that mark, and also to Floetry's credit, some of soul from the 1970s and 1980s all pushed the envelope where duration was concerned. The biggest proponent of that aspect being the great, sometimes underrated Isaac Hayes on such classic as "Walk On By" or "I Stand Accused". However when Hayes did it, he captivated your attention-Floetry on the other hand miss slightly on the excessive "Imagination" and even on the closing track "I Want U". The most unfortunate thing about FLO'OLOGY is the fact that it loses momentum greatly at the end of the album, where material presented at the forefront felt first class. This downward spiral actually starts on the average "I'll Die".

While FLO'OLOGY does feature the above mentioned flaws, it also has some very high points. The great thing about Floetry is that you feel there is equality between spoken and sung here. The spoken words tend to be just as impressive as the sung words which makes Floetry a truly authentic group. The album opens with the above average "Blessed 2 Have", which isn't the best track on the album, but it is definitely a nice way to start the album with excellent emphasis on soulful production. Second track "SupaStar" is better featuring a nice rap by Common and nice soulful production. The show stealer of the entire album though is the sexy, soulful devastating "Lay Down" which sports a nice 6/4 groove with accompanying lush strings, and very urban sounds overall. "My Apology" is another strong track which features a unique interspersion of spoken and sung parts as well as killer produced background vocals here. Besides the highlights, there are some very credible tracks such as "Closer" (which is the slightest bit overproduced with an overabundance of vocal, background vocal, spoken word tracks, etc...), "Let Me In", "Sometimes U Make Me Smile", and "Feelings". These tracks may not showcase the highest quality of Floetry, but the are pretty darn close.

For the most part, FLO'OLOGY is a strong R&B release, yet it could've been better had the album been slightly more consistent. One positive fact though is that for the most part, Floetry at least placed the strongest material at the forefront and middle of the album. By that time, they have successfully proven themselves. Strong production and overall creativity may FLO'OLOGY a strong R&B release for 2005. 3.5 Stars.

Fans of Lauryn Hill, India.Arie and Erykah Badu might want to give this smokin' British duo a try.

Marsha "the Songstress" Ambrosius and Natalie "the Floacist" Stewart are the super cool ladies behind the unusually named "Floetry", and their sound, as you may have guessed, is a fusion of neo-soul and poetry.

This is their third album, coming after Floetic (2002) and Floacism "Live" (2003), the first single from this album being being "Supastar" featuring Common. Songs to watch are "Blessed 2 Have", an upbeat hip hop track and the jazzy "Closer"

The UK version includes an excellent cover of Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain", a smooth reggae/soul mix that makes getting this version worthwhile. There's another track "I Don't Know What 2 Say" which is also a nice bonus.

This smooth neo-soul album is great for romantic evenings, or rainy days and Mondays.

Amanda Richards, January 19, 2006

I have loved Floetry's music from day 1. I have seen them in concert several times and I must say that you must hear Marsha's voice live to appreciate it's beauty. The studio recordings of Floetry's CD's due not give this group justice, their performances are amazing.

With that said, I can say that I truly enjoyed Flo'Ology. This CD shows how the group has evolved and matured. The songs speak to me in the same way the songs from Floetic spoke to me. I saw Floetry perform at S.O.B's on 11/10/05 and I must say I fell in love with this CD from hearing the songs performed live. My favorites are "Lay Down", "Feelings", "Imagination" and "I'll Die". These songs made me want to go home and love my boyfriend all over again.
:-)

Support Floetry and if you get a chance please go see these sistas perform live, you will not be disappointed.

Floetry comes back once again to give us another dosage of thier poetic mix of rhymes and song for the 05-06'. Do they Deliver? After one listen of the first 2 tracks you know the answer is yes. Even though the album is only 11 tracks long......every single track is hot which makes the album playable all the way through. They mix in a few more uptempo tracks, but keep it mostly midtempo to slow. The only cameo appearance is by common but other than that its all about floetry. Whats good here?...things like:

*Supastar - Hot track with common
*My Apology - Nice beat (wouldnt expect that from scott storch)
*Let me In
*Feelings
*Sometimes you make me smile - This is the slow jam to really set a mood.
*Imagination - Another hot slow jam


These songs right here are the highlights and also some of my personal favorites but really I would have to say I like them all. My only pet peeve is that they only had 11 tracks but after you hear the album that quickly goes away. Too bad the promo for this album is no good. All fans need to get this and non-fans who like spoken word and good soulful r+B?...get it!

It's good to see these two ladies back for another album. After blasting on the R&B scene a few years back, Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart were immediately embraced by all lovers of real soul music. It was their first album Floetic that produced hits like the title track "Floetic" and the seductive "Say Yes." They put out a live album entitled Floacism that fed the appetites of all the newly-acquired fans anticipating more from the dynamic duo. Just over three years from their slammin' first album comes Flo'Ology, a journey that goes deeper into the minds and souls of Floetry.

Don't be alarmed when I say that Flo'Ology sounds pretty consistent with how the first album was. For some people, that might spell a sign of mediocrity, but this is far from the truth. No one can deny the unique vibe that these two give off with their poetry and lyrics while infusing elements of jazz, blues, and rap as well. "Supastar" with Common continues their ongoing love for hip-hop in their music. "Closer" and "Lay Down" both follow in the same vein as "Say Yes" with their suggestive nature and rhythmical flows. And even though "My Apology" sounds more refined and possesses more thought in its delivery, it still reminds me of Floetic's "Hey You." "Feelings" is a jazzy-type track that is totally stripped down to the bare essentials with light piano playing and a few string instruments. This carries on in the song "Sometimes U Make Me Smile" but emphasizes the poetic side more than on "Feelings." "Imagination" gets a little assist with the writing expertise of Raphael Saadiq, and "Let Me In" is a smooth ballad that could easily be their next radio-friendly cut.

There are a few okay songs like "Blessed 2 Have," "I'll Die," and "I Want U." But Floetry is undoubtedly the only good example of how the combination of poetry and music can go well beyond a open mic session at the local jazz club. Flo'Ology is a very good album that any fan of their music will love and most R&B lovers will no doubt find to be worthy of their attention.

Very few artists can f/u with an album that exceeds the quality of their first but Floetry has done it!!! It is difficult to determine which album is the best b/c each brings something different with Floetry maintaining their same style, delivery, and flava. Everyone will have their fav but my fav is "Sometimes U Make Me Smile." Which song holds the #2 spot??? Hard to choose b/c each song stands out. I am listening to it right now and will remain in heavy rotation. This is just a phenomenal album so pick it up!!!!

I'm part of the public that longs for quantity over quality, so to speak. True it would be great for this album to have had at least the same amount of songs as the first or some hidden tracks but from song one, you're taken on a beautiful musical journey. Most albums these days don't have cohesiveness and sheer classic status from start to finish. These girls have found a way to accomplish that twice. Their first album, 'Floetic', was highly overlooked by the "powers that be", but highly respected by the people. This go round they need some hardware to validate their importance to the music industry. Grammy or bust! Give these girls what they deserve. I can go out on a limb and say they are my favorite girl group of all time. I never get tired of hearing their voices and the messages in their music. All I need in my R&B/ Soul collection is this, Floetic, Brown Sugar, Jill Scott's work, Christion, and Chico Debarge's 1st joint and I'm good. No disrespect to the other artists. Oh and Alicia Keys joints... and I'm straight. By the way, this album gets 6 stars! 5 ain't enough! On "Imagination" alone! Don't have it, go get 2...

Like any devotee, I had the album the day after it dropped. I stayed up all night at my own listening party under the canopy of my bed, breathing in each lyric, showering myself in the syncopation. Then we went to their show the next day. It was an experience where they verbally mixed each new track with an old one, and peppered in a few surprises (but I won't spoil it for anyone). This was real music, the kind that's made ad hoc, improv, and all those other fuzzy adjectives to describe spontaneity. But after the Flo high, I took to really digesting Flo'Ology. I wanted to move beyond the first tracks that moved me simply for good production (like Feelings and Lay Down). I discovered Blessed 2 Have, which had me teary because I too was blessed for another day, another opportunity to do more good in the world. And I rediscovered the single, which I liked originally, but learned to love when I realized I had a Supastar in my life that I wanted the whole world to know about. I became addicted and had to have a Dwele intervention to stop my incessant playing of this album. But when I came to the Amazon, and read so many so-so reviews, I was reminded of how personal music really is. Some people loved this album; others said it paled in comparison to Floetic. Some said it was right on time; others said it was not enough. I think what happened here is a classic case of Fulfillingness First Finale (see Stevie Wonder and really break down the meaning of that title). Almost everyone that copped the new Flo was a fan of the old - but for different reasons. So when the sophomore effort didn't imitate, emulate, or duplicate the first, some were left unfulfilled. Others, who saw the album from a different vantage point, thought it couldn't be better. That's the beauty of the universal language of music. It is the mirror of life - everything to everyone and sometimes nothing to no one. For me, Flo-Ology was all I could have wished for. But if I hadn't met a Supastar, perhaps I'd feel differently. Who knows?

Initially when I listened to the CD, I was somewhat disappointed. I was expecting a Floetic (which this is not). But by the second and third time I listened, I became addicted. They came just as strong as their first. This CD puts you on a musical high that is hard to come down from. Track after track you will feel this CD!

It is unfortunate that they will never get the attention they deserve. I love the fact that they stayed true to their craft and didn't try to be Beyonce or have ridiculous hooks! This album is woderful musically and lyrically. The production is great! It is warm and inviting. I can relate to every song. They really know how to take the human experience and put it into song! I hope they can continue for years to come!