Floetry
Floetic

THE REVIEW

Let's go back in time again, this time about ten years. We will talk about an English female duo unknown to the neo-soul laymen: Floetry.

Natalie Stewart, a.k.a "The Floacist," and Marsha Angelique Ambrosius, a.k.a "The Songstress," are two inseparable friends both passionate about basketball and music. Towards the end of the '90s, they leave England to seek fortune in the USA, specifically in Philadelphia, the cradle of neo-soul. Together, they did a lot of groundwork performing in various clubs under the name "Marsha & Nat" and composing songs for various artists such as Bilal, Glenn Lewis, and even Michael Jackson. In 2002, they were noticed by Dr. Julius Erwing and DJ Jazzy Jeff, who signed them and had them record this amazing debut titled "Floetic." Add ingredients like intimacy, poetry, and sensuality combined with jazz, hip-hop, and spoken-word and you’ll get this work....

We find the sustained groove of the title track, with Floacist's impeccable flow and the atmospheric Sunshine, romantic yet never banal.

Say Yes, on the other hand, is the album's most libidinous track, a hymn to carnal passion without vulgarity, while If I Was A Bird boasts a jazzy arrangement.

Also unmissable are Opera, where Floacist's determined rhymes and Songstress's trills complement each other, and Butterflies, composed by the duo for the King of Pop.

"Floetic" is appreciated for its smooth but never cheesy atmospheres, for Natalie Stewart's excellent poetic writing, and Marsha Ambrosius's energetic vocals.

If you're looking for an album that gives you relaxation after a hard day, well, this album is for you.

On this note, I recommend from this duo the live "Floacism" (2003), "Flo'Ology" (2005), and the respective solo albums of Floacist and Songstress, "Floetic Soul" and "Late Nights & Early Mornings," both from 2011.