A killer debut release with a rich blend of jazz and soul. There's a stunning
sort of Roy Ayers vibe running through the set -- a snapping jazz-tinged
groove laid out with vibes and sweet percussion, sounding very much like
the best of the late Polydor years, or some of Roy's own productions for
the Uno Melodic label. Added to that are Mia's incredible vocals -- sung
in a deep range that runs up through some soprano passages that float
and drift in an evocative style that has a more ambitious approach than
other singers of this sort. Plus, the song structure, production, and
overall format is really unique -- completely solid, with a strong voice
that makes each new track better than the last. A great debut, and one
that will be at the top of our list for years to come! Titles include
"Promise Land", "Be U", "Jazzy Soul A La Mode",
"Birth To The Earth", "Heavy On Your Mind", "Soul
Mates", and "Music Is".
- Dusty Groove America
Easily
the greatest collection so far on Glory Records -- the folks who've brought
us the excellent Neo-Soul United series, but who really top themselves with
this tasty little set! This time around, the Glory folks go even deeper
with their sound -- taking the "city" in their title seriously,
and expanding past the usual neo-soul grooves, into a wonderfully wide-ranging
batch of tracks. The overall commitment to underground soul is still firmly
in place -- but the styles of the tunes open up nicely to show the full
scope of grooves being crafted on the modern urban scene these days -- and
not just the easy cliches that tend to get passed off on the latest record
by the umpteenth soul singer to claim that she used to sing backing vocals
for Erykah Badu! The set's got 16 tracks in all -- including "Like
Rain" by Alison Crockett, "Take My Song" by Freedom Bremmer,
"I Love You" by Damon Cooper, "Season To Love" by Jazmine
Sullivan, "Obvious" by Stori James, "I Like It" by Josephine
Sincere, "Fire" by Heavy, "Building" by Blk Sunshine,
"Glorious" by Sa-Ra Creative Partners, and "My Job"
by Mia Miata. Also includes a bonus "Supersoul Medley"! 
A
second helping of new underground soul from the folks at Glory Records
- an even better, and larger set of tracks than volume one! Neo Soul United
2 features a number of largely below-the-radar artists Dusty Groove has
followed and adored for the last couple of years (Latanya Lockett, Michael
Bohannon, Lisala, Mia Miata. . .), but there's also a number of artists
we've only now come across, or haven't heard from in a while (like Ladybug
Mecca, formally of Digable Planets!) All of which is to say that this
one's a real joy to put in our racks -- furthering our devotion to the
many worthy soon-to-be soul stars in the underground, and serving as a
healthy sign post for things we can look forward to in the coming months
and years! 16 tracks: "Little Things" by Dan Metreyeon, "High
Time" by Maisha, "Make Love Last Forever" by Michael Bohannon,
"If I Need To Move On" by Ladybug, "Round And Round"
by Latonya Lockett, "Bud" by Delia Harris, "Utopia"
by Keith Robinson, "Come Talk To Me" by Harmon'e, "Music
Is".
DJ Come of Age has a unique project in the works now. His critically acclaimed
"Unheralded: The Neo Soul Project" is due out this winter. It
will feature timeless tracks from artists like Mia Miata, Jonas Rendbo from
Denmark, Simeon, Lasonya Gunter, Stephanie Renee, and others. Each artist
submitted a track for the project and COA sets the mood on the disc.