Search - Floetry :: Floacism (with Bonus DVD)

"Tell Me When" Their Next Album Drops... (2.5 Stars)

Andrew Jacob | Brooklyn, New York | 12/23/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"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."

HETERO-BI-TRANS-SEXUALITY...

Onaneedto knowbasis | Atlanta, Ga. | 11/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First came Luther Vandross' live-concert CD and now this!! Oh my if only ALL gifted singers would do a live-concert CD and Oh Me Oh My if only all live-concert CD's by gifted singers came with a DVD...what a wonderful world this would be. I rated this CD/DVD 5 stars exclusively on the strength of just 2 songs: Say Yes and Getting Late. After you hear AND see them (OH MY GOD when you see them on the included DVD) you'll understand what I mean.The shock-and-awe campaign on your senses continues!!!So let's have a little fun here, shall we?The same question that had loomed large for the longest time over the head of Luther Vandross is the same question that, at the end of the day, has to be asked of these two women. And that question is...Exactly WHO are these women singing to and/or about -- men or women? You'll notice that their lyrics, in general, tend to be nongender-specific and their videos are laced with images of men and heterosexuality but let's put it like this and make no mistake about it -- if you're a female who swears on a stack of bibles that you're straight yet who fails to sexually connect with these two women when they sing Say Yes and Getting Late (particularly when you look at Floacist's eyes and listen to her rhythmic vocalizations on the DVD for Getting Late), then you might wanna pick a quiet corner somewhere and do a little more soul searchin' and self-reckoning because you're totally out of touch with your bisexuality. That's right, I said it. What are you gonna do about it, huh?Ladies, these 2 sisters are all for and about YOU! And it's this same realization that takes their music to a whole new level. Sure there are other groups where one or more members use "spoken word" vocals as accompaniment while others in the group actually "sing" but nobody does it like these two -- woman to woman. Believe it. It's almost as if they've created a new genre. I haven't even listened to any other songs on the CD. I swear I haven't. That's just how mesmerizing these 2 songs are. That's not to take anything away from the other songs, it's just that I've always maintained that ballads are the true test of an artist's abilities, showcasing both technique and creativity.Natalie Stewart (Floacist) delivers her spoken word vocals so velvety smooth that it puts Barry White to shame!! You can just picture her talking on the phone somewhere at 2 o'clock in the morning in total background silence as the world sleeps and the person on the other end just getting completely brainwashed and manipulated until all resistance is futile!! Men, take note: this is how game is supposed to be laid down!!Marsha Ambrosius (Songstress) is clearly an angel on loan from God who's gonna be catchin' the first cloud back home any minute now. She's got some control/pitch issues in certain spots but her range, depth of emotion, and yearning when she sings overshadows those minor glitches. She's definitely got the right idea about what and how her accompanying role needs to be done. Heaven-sent to describe her voice on these 2 songs is a gross understatement.As good as just listening to the CD is, you've got to see them on the DVD to appreciate how totally in synche they are with each other. Fourteen years of singing together has that effect!Screw this. Enough talk. Just go buy da damn thang."

Floetry Take it to the Stage.

The Groove | Boston, MA | 12/01/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A few soul elitists have sniffed at Floetry, claiming the duo is just another run-of-the-mill neo soul act jumping on a bandwagon for sales. I always found that claim both ungrounded and terribly unfair, as Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart do indeed possess considerable talent deserving of praise. "Floacism Live" is a performance including three new songs that kick off the CD. The strongest of these tracks are "Wanna B Where U R" (with Mos Def) and the solid "Tell Me When." Moving on to the live performance: it isn't flawless but they do manage to hold their own onstage with concert renditions of "Getting Late," "If I Was a Bird," and their biggest hit to date, the winning ballad "Say Yes." But some flaws remain. While the duo's energy is undeniable, the groove does fall flat in just a couple places, and their "Butterflies" only proves that Michael Jackson's version is vastly superior. But all in all, I'm glad I picked up this disc, and the bonus DVD gives you bang for your buck. It contains the hour-long concert, presented in fullscreen format and in lively 5.1 surround sound. There's also a 9-minute behind-the-scenes clip as well as 2 music videos. "Floacism" could have been a slapdash effort, but it turned out to be an overall solid performance with a pretty good DVD. Go with the Flo."