"Friends and Lovers" "Intro" sets the tone for the rest of the album. Once I heard the seatbelt
buckle and the engine start, I knew I was in for a bumpy ride with the
soundtrack to relationship drama blasting at full volume.
I always like to watch a few interviews of an artist’s
commentary on their music, to get a feel for their inspiration behind the
project and the story they’re trying to tell. I was under the impression that
Marsha was going to walk me through a tale of friends turned lovers, breakups,
and make ups. After listening to "So Good,
Night Time", and "69", I realized this story ain't got nothing to do with
friendship.
And after a while, I realized I was on autopilot and had
completely zoned out. I was like,
“Did I just listen to the same song three times?!” The beginning of this story
is just sex, and lots of it. In a
very hypnotizing, loopy, "Are you high right now?" type of way. And I couldn’t figure
out what she was saying for the life of me, but she sounds amazing, as always.
Fast forward to "Shoes".
I can’t believe I keep doing this to myself/but it’s so good./Last night we
made love…/we swore it’d be the last time, but we just cant stop. Okay, now
the story begins. I guess the previous three tracks were meant to be a prelude
to the story. This track is straightforward, and she replaced the beautiful
mumbling she was doing in the prior tracks with clear pronunciation. I get you
now, Ms. Ambrosius. Your mind wasn’t right before, and now you’ve come back to
earth. We’ve all been there. Kudos to her for not only telling the story
lyrically, but conceptually through the musicality of the songs. I see you,
girl!
I’d have to say that the intros and interludes were one of my
favorite part of this album, as her acoustic vocals take the spotlight. That,
and the fact that they were the only way I knew what’s going on in the story
she’s trying to tell.
"Stronger", featuring
Dr. Dre is a pivotal point in the album. Because after this, my friends, the
album gets good.
"You and I"! Finally! This was the track I
was waiting to hear! This track gives us a chance to hear her impeccable tone
without all the congestion of trippy bells and synths. I don't listen to artists like Marsha to zone out, I listen to get in my feelings. THIS is the Marsha Ambrosius I love. "La La La La La", which samples Minnie
Ripperton’s “Loving You", "Love, Cupid (Shot Me Straight Through My Heart)", and "Run" prove that Marsha writes her most
beautiful songs when she’s in love. These songs are for the old-school Floetry fans. I'm not an emotional girl, but she had me wanting to run through fields of sunflowers with my non-existent bae.
I’m convinced I’m a 65-year-old woman trapped in a
twenty-something body, so the track "Spend
All My Time" featuring Charlie Wilson was the one I was anticipating the
most. Uncle Charlie never disappoints, and the mélange of his raspy granddaddy vocals
with Marsha’s fluid vibrato is so good I caught myself rocking back and forth
and doing the stank face like my Mama does when the sermon is good.
"OMG I Miss You"
sounds like it belongs in the beginning of the album with the freaky,
sex-so-good tracks, and "Streets of London"
just doesn’t fit in with any of the other songs at all. I don’t get it. She
could’ve left me with Uncle Charlie and I would’ve been fine.
Parts of "Friends and
Lovers" are nice to light a few candles and vibe to, but I honestly feel
like most of these songs belong on different playlists. Some of the songs are for the Jhene Aiko roll up and space out crowd, some are for the Floetry lovers, and a few are for my fellow old ladies of the world. Take your pick.
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