Floetry Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Following their successful live album, Floetry returned to the studio after some much needed rest from constant touring and album-making. Relaxed and very much reenergized, Floetry then issued Flo'Ology, which rises to the top of the list as one of the best things the group has ever released. The blueprint pretty much stays the same: tasteful, funky neo-soul grooves blended with emotive R&B crooning and spoken word poetry. But there's a much-needed sense of refinement to their style and vocal delivery this time around, a hint of maturity that was lost on their debut and subsequent releases. The ferocity that made Floetic the album of the neo-soul jet set has been replaced by a calmer, more introspective duo confident of their abilities and -- most importantly -- understanding when to restrain themselves from becoming just another cookie-cutter R&B group (check out "Lay Down" for the best example of this discipline). The one thing detracting from Flo'Ology is the length of the songs, with many of them bordering on or exceeding the five-minute mark; combined with the repetition of themes, this length tends to drag down and unnecessarily carry songs on longer than they should, but that's a trivial complaint considering all of the fine-tuning, general improvement, and overall quality boost that Flo'Ology delivers from start to finish. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On the strength of 2002's Floetic, Floetry became the Bush of neo-soul -- an English act with most of its commercial success in the States. Though the critical reception was equally warm in both territories, Floetic hit the Top 20 of the Billboard album chart in the U.S., while it didn't perform nearly as well in the U.K. With the two-disc Floacism "Live", Floetry give their U.S. fans a gift of sorts, with a performance -- recorded at New Orleans' House of Blues -- that is provided in both CD and DVD format. The show has a lot of energy, but it's best experienced visually, although the live arrangements are competent enough. Discerning fans will be satiated somewhat by the three new studio recordings that open the set, including a fiery "Microphone Fiend"- sampling tune that features Mos Def. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Singing "songstress" Marsha Ambrosius and spoken-word "floacist" Natalie Stewart have concocted a smooth, sultry, and soulful album with the help of producers Darren "Limitless" Henson, Keith "Keshon" Pelzer, Vidal Davis, Ivan "Orthodox" Barias, and Andre "Dirty" Harris, whose combined credentials include Bilal and Jill Scott. The album includes some faster hip-hop tracks such as "Opera," but it tends toward mid-tempo grooves and slow jams with an warm, after-dark chill-out feel. The music is classy and sleek, not raucous or abrasive, and Stewart even says to "turn the music down" during "Headache." The duo may sing about bringing the vibe "from SC5 to Philly's Westside" ("Floetic"), but they also dwell a lot on personal heartache; sample lyrics include "I cry oceans" ("Headache") and "so much pain and misery" ("If I Were a Bird"), and even "Fun" is hooked around the phrase "this isn't my idea of fun." Ambrosius and Stewart are both adept at their respective vocal techniques, but their main strength is the interplay between their two voices; this interplay, like the album in general, is a good demonstration of how contrasting styles can be brought together to form an appealing whole. This CD includes two bonus tracks: the demo version of "Butterflies" (which was a hit when performed by Michael Jackson) and a collaboration with Sebastian Rogers on "Now You're Gone (More Than I Can Feel)." ~ Todd Kristel, All Music Guide
