Customer Reviews

This Much is True:

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I try to keep up. I really do. Maybe I just don't know where to look. This came out in August 2008 and I just accidentally see it to give it a try in Jan 2009. I have heard a lot of crap in that time frame. Where do you go to find all the hype? Anyway, stone cold album. Song after song of top notch grooves. Mature, musically stunning, and vocally outstanding. I hope the word will get out about this album and this powerhouse star Maiysha.

I can't get these songs out of my head. This woman has soul and pipes.
I love it!

Very mature sound, creative writing, strong vocals. Of the songs that seem to be highlighted (Wanna Be, This Much Is True, Orbit, Chase), Wanna Be is the truly deserving one with its powerful track and lyrics. The strength of this album continues with the amazing "Hold Me", "Alchemy", the paradoxical "You Don't Know", the very intelligent "U.S.H", "Celebrity", and "Gods", and the tongue-in-cheek "Matter of Pride". The fun Sledgehammer and Over My Head are also worth noting.

Overall, this CD combines a lot of different sounds - rock, soul, funk, reggae - showing originality and appreciation of the art of making music. The seven years spent crafting this album were well worth it!

I'd initially heard Maiysha's ORBIT on a neo-soul compilation disc a few years ago & loved it so I stayed on the lookout for more music from her until this album appeared on my recommendations list and I snatched it up.

This is an excellent debut from a new singer in the alternative r&b field - the 12 tracks that she co-wrote with Scott Jacoby feature intelligent lyrics and interesting musical arrangements. Her beautiful voice is featured more distinctly on the ballads but also matches perfectly with the more uptempo funkier cuts - on some tracks vocally she reminds me of Amel Larrieux but the whole construction of the songs & albums is reminiscent of Alice Smith & Sy Smith - they're all independent females who are putting music out there that challenges listeners' expectations of what r&b music USED to be vs the watered down version that more prominent artists are putting out there.

The only reason that I didn't give it the full five stars is because I didn't like one song, ALCHEMY - I love the musical arrangement and lyrics but in the middle of the song the crescendo builds so high that it's like she's shouting to be heard through the music.

The songs that I keep on repeat are: HOLD ME, ORBIT, OVER MY HEAD, WANNA BE, YOU DON'T KNOW, GODS, CELEBRITY, MATTER OF PRIDE & the wonderfully stripped down cover of Peter Gabriel's SLEDGEHAMMER, which sounds fresh & new especially coming from a female artist.

I truly hope that word of mouth and perhaps some appearances on late night tv shows will create a buzz for her the way that it did for another dynamic "underground" artist, Alice Smith.

The debut from this Brooklyn-born soul singer/songwriter covers a lot of musical ground, Even the album's Grammy-nominated lead-off single, "Wanna Be" covers a lot of musical ground in its four minutes. There's the requisite deep bass and synthetic beats to give your woofers a workout, and the vocals range from intimate crooning to melodic rapping and fierce soul power, but these basics are interwoven in shifting textures and tempos with operatic backing singers, drums, rock guitars, horns and more. It's a canny blend that evokes `70s R&B artists like Labelle, Natalie Cole and Earth, Wind & Fire without surrendering to the sort of retro vibes pioneered by Amy Winehouse. Producer Scott Jacoby has aptly labeled his mix "progressive soul" to encompass both its classic roots and its motion forward. Twelve of the album's tracks were co-written by Maiysha and Jacoby; the closer is a superb country soul reworking of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," recorded live in New York City, with Marc Copely's scorching slide guitar a stand-out beside Maiysha's supercharged vocal. If you're looking for the melodic vocal chops that rap's forgone, but aren't ready to swap beats for the mellow slow-grooves of the Quiet Storm, check out the spark Maiysha's injected back into contemporary soul music. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

I have never listened to a new CD first track to last until this one. "Maiysha" was curiously engaging and delivered on every track. This much is true is a "must have" for serious musicologists!

Finally,there is a new artist we can all be excited about. Maiysha's voice is unbelievable! i even had a chance to see her live in NYC at Joe's Pub- people had chills. Its not just the powerful voice that makes Maiysha such an important artist, but her lyrics put into words what so many of us have been thinking but didnt know how to say... Anyone who wants to be inspired, buy this album and let me know what you think! you wont be disappointed...

This is an awesome CD and a favorite in our household. Love, love, love Alchemy and Over My Head! The Undercover CD is also quite good. We wish Maiysha much success and look forward to hearing more from her.

This Much Is True

Maiysha has such a fresh voice/style. Her mix of classical exposure with soulful undertones are an experience you should have.

This may be 2ed post.

JEG

I stumbled across this CD and now I'm hooked, addicted, and in love. This CD has been in my rotation for about 3 months. I can't seem to get enough of it. She is so many things rolled into one. Envogue, Stevie, Maysa, Chaka, Aretha, Sade. Have you seen her videos? She gives 125 percent and doesn't care what she looks like. That's all right with me. Great production, excellent song writing, cohesive grooves, superb musicians. This CD is the complete package. Thanks Maiysha and crew. I'm waiting for the next episode!