“Roots of Love” is the jazziest track on the album – there are absolutely no electronics, and the backup is done solely by a piano jazz quartet that brings to mind Robert Glasper’s recent musical experimentations. She also reinvents “Say Yes,” one of the major hits from her longtime association with Marsha Ambrosius, “The Songstress” of Floetry.Īlso notable is “Roots of Love,” an acoustic track that features vocals from South African vocalist Thandizwa Mazwai, who sings in Zulu as Stewart does her spoken word thing. “Slow Down” begins with a classically-inspired piano that quickly morphs into a Gospel groove that leads to a jazz-inflected song whose lyrics tell the listener to stop moving too fast, because life has too much to give.
It is a tune destined to become one of the album’s hits thanks to its radio-friendly beat and smart arrangement built around funk-inspired rhythm guitar. The disc kicks off with “Start Again,” an uptempo ballad that features backing vocals from Raheem DeVaughn, who uses his voice as a rich backdrop to Stewart’s voice.
But unlike her Nigerian-born counterpart, Stewart doesn’t rely on very elaborate arrangements, but on subtler instrumentation that enhances her voice and her lyrical message.
Following up on her well received solo debut Floetic Soul (Shanachie, 2010), Natalie Stewart – AKA The Floacist – presents a more melodic album with less emphasis on spoken word and more on exploring her velvety voice that could bring comparisons to fellow Brit neo-soul artist Sade.
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