Floetic

Floetic

It's hard to imagine two more talented hipsters than Floetry singer Marsha Ambrosius and emcee Natalie Stewart, a.k.a. the Songstress and Floacist. The U.K. duo's <I>Floetic</I> debut has it all--smooth R&B, soulful jazz, hip-hop, spoken word, supple ballads and a warmth that cradles the listener from beginning to end. In short, it's exquisitely, decidedly feminine. The pair occasional raise the roof with sizzling rhymes and beats, but they clearly place a premium on vibe, evident in <I>Floetic</I>'s mostly chilled, after-dark feel. Jill Scott and Michael Jackson have already benefited from Floetry's deft songwriting; Jacko covered Floetry's "Butterflies" on his <I>Invincible</I> disc. A demo version of that song is included here, but that's the least of the bounty. "Hello" is pure honey with the women's silky voices braided in harmony while the dreamy, gently gurgling "Sunshine" is like a soundtrack to a daydream. Comparisons abound (Lauryn Hill-meets-Dionne Warwick as scored by a blunted De La Soul maybe?) but perhaps the best description of <I>Floetic</I> yet unearthed is "sass and soul." And, at almost 70 minutes long, it's a steal. <I>--Kim Hughes</I>