Floacism (with Bonus DVD)

by

Floetry

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Throughout the DVD that accompanies this CD you can vividly see through intimate camera close-ups the sweat forming on Marsha Ambrosius' (the Songstress) face and flowing down her neck and upper body as she sings. Bottle it, slap a label on it, and I'd be the first customer to buy it and drink it up!

Extreme, yes I know, but there's really no other way to stress to you the degree of sexual energy and sensuality these two woman exude when they sing, particularly on their ballads.

You can get a visual preview of what this CD/DVD set has to offer on the internet -- their live-version video of "Getting Late" is featured EXACTLY as it is on this disc on various sites including Launch.com.

I'm a newcomer to this neosoul thing and I wasn't familiar with this group until someone recommended them to me. Oddly enough, it was through the aforementioned video that I came to know these extraordinarily talented women, and what an incredible first impression they've made on me!

The CD (tracks 4-14) is a recording of a live-concert they performed at the House of Blues in New Orleans and the accompanying DVD features the one-hour concert, with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, plus their music videos.

They sing virtually all of the songs that are on their studio CD, Floetic, but had I been introduced to them through the studio CD I probably wouldn't have bought it, stressing once again the overwhelming effect produced by allowing your listening audience to hear you sing live, absent of the crutches that studio recordings tend to provide. I took the time to buy the studio version just to compare and sure enough every song sounds exponentionally better when sung live, with the exception of "If I Was a Bird," which doesn't include the background singers from the studio version. One must never underestimate what an impact background singers can make on a slow jam!!

A big shout-out to the rhythm section, too. From the use of brass horns instead of synthesizers to - - again, for the second time this month on a live-concert CD (Luther's was first)-- the perfect bass level achieved by the bass player and percussionist, it all was a nice touch and adds to the atmosphere of intimacy.

You're not likely to hear ballads performed better than this duo so if you're a lover of slow jams as am I, you're in for a treat.

I would first like to point out that I am a Floetry fan and that I loved their album "Floetic", even dubbing it one of the best of 2002, but with this new release "Floacism", my opinion has temporarily changed. If they were really in a rush to release something... then this should've just been a DVD... and that's it. Releasing it as a CD just brings up high hopes only to be left misled & misinformed. The new tracks (Wanna Be Where U R, Tell Me When, Have Faith) are refreshing, but nonetheless average & ordinary at best, sounding like some tracks that were cut off the debut (although, Mos Def provides a very good verse in Wanna Be Where U R). One of the major problems I had with the live performances is that they lack innovation and distinctiveness from the studio versions. I'm not saying they had to sound completely different, but some individuality & uniqueness would've been great (If I wanted to hear songs from Floetic, might I add, better sounding and higher quality versions of songs from Floetic, then I would've listened to Floetic). I mean, THAT IS WHY I BUY LIVE ALBUMS; to listen to the artists sing their songs in different perceptions and perspectives. The only one in which they breached towards a different sound was "Opera" in which towards the end, the music changes. Another thing that bothered me was Marsha. On normal occasions, I love her voice. I find it angelic and beautiful. But at certain times when Natalie rhymed, Marsha wouldn't shut up. I understand she's trying to "flow with her" and trying to "give another perspective of what Natalie was saying", but sometimes It felt very annoying, almost as if she's trying to hog the spotlight. Sometimes, she did it so much, that her voice started to strain. Also, certain times when she tried to hold the note longer than needed, her voice would crack up. Seriously, we know you have a nice voice... but set limitations.

The DVD was good; it had more songs than on the CD part (they cut some songs out of the performance to fit the CD). They say things sound better if you see it... but even with that said, the live performance had me yearning to want more. Frankly, the performances were rather ... boring. The audience was dead, maybe giving a cheer here or there.

Maybe I'm being too picky, but I really saw no point to this CD/DVD. You would've gotten pretty much the same result if you added an echo effect on the studio songs. For one reason or another, it just didn't seem like Floetry calibur; on "Floetic", everything intertwined: the music, Marsha's Vocals, Natalie's Rhymes... but on this live CD, nothing combines, almost as if they are competing with each other... If you're a complete Floetry fan, then get it. But if you're yearning for something more or better quality, get `Floetic' or wait for their next complete release because this album is pointless and nothing more than a mere way for Floetry to "refresh" the world of their existence. Unfortunately, if they continue releasing material of this caliber, their existence will be nothing more than a memory.