Flo'Ology

Floetry

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 8, 2005)
• Original Release Date: November 8, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000BISBEI
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,822 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Blending their unique concoction of sensual sound and poetic justice, Floetry is set to return to the musical landscape with their third CD, Flo'ology. This time, Marsha Ambrosius (the Songstress) and Natalie Stewart (the Floacist) remain true to form by uniting passionate vocals and elegant spoken word with the rhythms of classic soul, funk and a little bit of island spice! But while the tried-and-true formula that worked so well for Floetic garnered praise by critics and gave the London duo a devoted fan base is the same, the pair are quick to point out the differences between Flo'ology and the themes exemplified on their six-time Grammy nominated debut album and its follow-up Floacism (Live).

"First, there's no headache on this album," says Stewart, who as a poet, draws her songwriting skills from both articulating her personal thoughts and experiences, as well as translating her observations. "Flo'ology is less about victimization. It's about women taking more responsibility for what goes on in our lives. On the first album, Marsha and I were 21 and 23. Now that we're a bit more mature, we've come to a better understanding of ourselves and naturally that's reflected on the album."

"Plus, we're just more aware that we were creating an album this time," Ambrosius interjects. "With Floetic we made a bunch of songs without necessarily realizing we were making an album. It was more of a demo situation. At the right time, the right place, we walked into a studio in Philadelphia and didn't really grasp the situation like we could have. It was the perfect way to make that album and I think everybody would be happy if they got Floetic again, but Flo'ology is the next phase in our lives, in our music."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Strong R&B Release With Minor Flaws...3.5 Stars, November 15, 2005

By	Musac Critic - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For rainy days and Mondays, January 18, 2006

By	Amanda Richards "Modest to the extreme" (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing! , November 11, 2005

By	Jae "Jae" (Bronx, NY) - See all my reviews

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.