I had no idea what to expect when I started this new Floetry CD. It starts with a tight rap (Big Ben) followed by a bouncy song (Floetry) that explains the group.

Now I get it. They sing and they rap. And the singing ain't bad, reminiscent of Angie Stone. "I'm floacist, she's the songstress."

Take two attractive black women of different skills, different sizes, natural hair and British accents, and you have the makings of Floetry.

In "Ms. Stress," Floacist explains how to love yourself enough to set a standard for others to love you. But Floetry acknowledges that "it hurts" to set standards, even though it's "better" to do so and not become comfortable in a bad situation. "I play Russian Roulette and put this phone to my ear," the song says.

In "Sunshine," the pair explain how we sometimes miss our dreams inside our reality, and here the rap takes on a decidedly English accent. "Getting Late," on the other hand, is methodically slow, dramatizing the feeling of when it's "getting late." The slow sensual rap strikes a stark contrast to the cadence of the earlier cuts on the CD, this time evoking the feel of a sexy Barry White song.

The song "Fun" completely surprised me. I expected an upbeat tune about having fun, but instead I discovered a woman trapped in a relationship in which she realizes, "this isn't my idea of fun." I should have guessed from the line in the notes, which said, "Don't torture Urself and each other just because U're afraid of being alone."

"Mr. Messed Up" seems very much like "Fun" in its message but different in its sound. The song reminds me of one of City High's songs, but I'm not sure which. I don't particularly care for the song anyway. On the other hand, I love "Say Yes," the first song which really reveals the singer's amazing vocal ability. "All you gotta do is say yes/don't deny what you feel/let me undress you baby." I'm feeling it. I wish the CD had more songs like this on it.

The CD comes with no printed lyrics, so the pages in the CD booklet are instead filled with images of the two women of the group. The cover scene shows the two group members sitting at a British bus stop while the back cover shows the two performers as little girls sitting at the same bus stop.

The song "Hello" recounts one of those "first time" experiences we've all been through. Even if it was a long time ago when we experienced it for ourselves, these scenes still evoke romantic feelings.

"Headache" is a song some of us need to listen to several times. It's half rap-half song about the emotional confusion we go through when we can't say what we really feel. You say you want me to stay but your actions suggest you don't. Why can't you just say what you feel and spare us both the trouble? Now what I mean?

"Hey You" begins as a rap but is interrupted with a pleading cry of "hey you." It sounds good, very relaxing, especially for a rap song. I can listen to this song some more.

"If I Was A Bird" is an odd song, starting with the sound of a chirping bird followed by a soft rap about "knowledge," then followed by singing. I like the different pieces of the song but it's hard to figure how to put them together into one.

The song "Opera," inspired by a scene from a J. California Cooper novel, is launched by an aria that leads into a slightly eclectic, if not discordant rap. It's an interesting idea, mixing opera with rap, but it doesn't really work for me here.

The last song, "Subliminal," splices words into the soundtrack in a manner echoing the subliminal messages that Madison Avenue advertisers allegedly used in the 70s and 80s. Of the two bonus tracks, "Butterflies" (written by Andre Harris and Marsha Ambrosius) is nice but not as pretty as Michael Jackson's version of the song.

The last bonus track, "Now You're Gone (More Than I Can Feel), was a bit confusing at first. The main voice is clearly not a woman's, so I wondered who it is. I'm still not sure, but I'm guessing it's Bill Malina.

In the end, Floetry is a pleasant, mostly relaxing CD that will set a fairly tranquil mood. It's not really top 40 music, so if that what you're looking for, then it might take a few listens to appreciate it. If you're looking for a refreshing change of pace, then this CD may work for you.

© Copyright 2002 by Keith Boykin.