Marsha Ambrosius - Late Nights & Early Mornings (2011)

Just a few months after her Floetry partner, Natalie Stewart, released Floetic Soul, Marsha Ambrosius issued her own solo album. In a way, Late Nights & Early Mornings picks up where 2005's Flo'Ology left off, as much of it is in the vein of that album's slow, steamed-up songs like "Lay Down" and "Imagination." Ambrosius makes the point early, opening the album with a pair of stellar modern quiet storm numbers in the bare "With You" (written with Alicia Keys) and the 1984-1985 Prince-channeling title song (produced and co-written by Rich Harrison). The song that follows, "Hope She Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player)," temporarily shifts the tone with some cleverly spiteful language over Ambrosius' sparkling production. Two nice surprises come with a deadly, faithful cover of Portishead's "Sour Times" and a bright version of "Butterflies," the song she and Andre Harris wrote for Michael Jackson. Those who could not get into the Floetry albums due to Ambrosius' occasionally tremulous delivery should have no problem this time. The characteristic is no distraction -- put to use with less frequency and typically in service to the song, not purely for show.