[.ca] Tortoise and the Hare, the

From Amazon.co.uk:
Like Jazzyfatnastees' lauded but little-known debut, The Tortoise & The Hare is a modern soul album of considerable class, not bedevilled by the conservatism that can occasionally hamstring such affairs. The sultry and sophisticated vocal duo reached the apex of their prominence in the late 90s, when fellow Philadelphia natives The Roots began to feature them on their rustic rap albums. Despite some high profile work early in their career--they provided backing vocals on a Stevie Wonder album as long ago as 1995--Mercedes Martinez and Tracey Moore remain among new school soul's best kept secrets. "Something in the Way", the inviting opener, benefits from a lush, homely production reminiscent of prime 70s Hi Records territory (think Ann Peebles with a 21st century sheen). "Compelled" strikes out in a rocky direction before reinventing itself, mid-song, as a disco floor-shaker, "El Medio" brings a slice of Mediterranean romance and, for just a couple of seconds, "Show Your Face" threatens to turn into, of all things, "Sweet Home Alabama". At 10 songs, this album is refreshingly focused, and deserves to bring Martinez and Moore to the audience their talent merits. --Angus Batey

Now!:
If you have heard of these ladies, just wondering what they're all about...Come on in! The sophomore LP is everything their name represents, jazzy, fat and so nastee! The opening track, "Something in the Way" is a smooth ballad about holding on to love for a reason you just can't put your finger on, but you can't let go. "All up in my face" represents the hating phoniness many of us see all the time in our everyday lives. "Adolescent Blues" is just that- blues for a person striving to be free to be herself. "Compelled" starts with a rock beat then switches to a quick dance tempo, keeping you wired from start to finish. The dark "Show your face" is haunting yet intriguing in the sense that the singer may be a little too confident for her own good. One of the best dancehall, hip hop fusions for energetic folks is "Give a Dog a Bone" We've all been there. This song must be played repeatedly. For those more mellow sessions, "El Medio", "Four Lives", "Tumbling" and the title track are perfect. This album has something for everyone, especially listeners who love soul, jazz and soft ballads. Listen to it from start to finish- it is a rare treat.

Eh, the first album was better:
The first album was captivating. This album was good but ole gals got repetitive. I wasn't suprised. And that's not always a good thing.

"Compelling" (4.5 Stars):
Just like their debut, "The Once and the Future", Jazzyfatnastees' sophomore album, "The Tortoise and the Hare" is only limited to ten tracks. And just like their debut, it's "short but sweet". The flawless production itself literally smacks you in the face with its fresh-sounding diversity. The vocal harmonizing by Tracey and Mercedes is still instantly intriguing. The album is very consistent, despite the variety of sound types and different subjects. The Latin flavored "All Up In My Face" is a song about backstabbers, basing the story of the song by making biblical references to "Judas". "El Medio Del Misterio" (which translates to "The Middle of the Mystery") has a certain "mystique" in the beat and is about confusion. "Four Lives" is a song that exploits secrets of each family member in a "modern-day picture-perfect" family ("...The love, the hate, the irony/They're living, but they can't be..."). The opening song "Something In The Way" has an old school R & B vibe to it while "Compelled" is in inbred that fuses rock with disco, with the result being a surprisingly catchy song. Though I like pretty much all the songs on the album, my favorite is the "Once and The Future"-esque "Adolescent Blues". It's funny how sometimes the most simplistic track becomes the most liked one; the beat is straightforward and easy to flow to and I can personally relate with the lyrics, which is mainly about how adolescents mentally struggle with problems including drugs, finding their identity, and finding love: Here I am stuck in this place I don't know how I got here Woke up one day And there I was stuck... waiting Tryna make a move on what I should do... I should do? I've fallen and I can't get back up... One of the few minor problems I had with the album is that they tended to be repetitive with the hook (like towards the end of "All Up In My Face"). Another is the title track "The Tortoise and the Hare". I understand they were going for an "atmospheric" thing, but I personally think they wasted a good beat with the song consisting of only two lines. But in general, the album is both musically and lyrically exceptional. Calling Jazzyfatnastees underrated artists would be an unfortunate understatement since they have yet to have disappoint, evident with this album.

Something In The Way:
The Jazzyfatnastees sophomore album is more of that philly soul that they displayed on their debut album Once & Future. The album runs ten songs deep just like their debut making this 45 minute listening experience feel more like a continuation of their first album, which it is. The duo, Tracy Moore and Mercedes Martinez, write and produce the majority of their own projects so you can expect music from the heart. The songwriting is quite excellent and the singing is superb. The thing that holds this album back is some of the backdrops. For example, 'Give A Dog A Bone' and 'Four Lives' are just plain out terrible. But the rest of the songs such as All Up IN My Face, El Medio, Show Your Face and the Title Track deliver. The song I'm feeling the most is Something in The Way. The Jazzyfatnastees have dropped a good sophomore album and if you like that Philly Soul scene then this should be in your collection.

BUY IT NOW:
I absolutely love this CD. I heard them live in Philly and they were awesome. I just happened to be in philly and decided to go to the 5 spot. I love the energy of the music. It has soul, hip hop, and a bit of rock. They have a unique sound. I was a little late hearing about them but I'm glad that I have been introduced to this interesting and refreshing music. Only one track is so-so- MEdio.