Despite three impressive albums and two EPs to her credit Sy Smith has yet to receive the recognition that her body of work would suggest. Sy’s vocal talents have graced the recordings of esteemed artists like the Chaka Khan, Me’Shell N’degeocello and many more as well as a frequent contributor to the Foreign Exchange. All of her releases have been well received by her devoted fan base yet they haven’t taken off to the masses. That could very well change now with the infectious “Fast and Curious”. Mark De Clive Lowe takes hold of the production chores and provides Sy with a soulful dance sound that guarantees hip twisting and neck snapping movement. His wizardry behind the boards and on keys combined with Sy’s angelic vocals feels like the perfect marriage. The disc kicks off with the title track which is built on a mid-tempo groove and funky synths. From there the tempo builds with “Truth” but the formula of funky bass grooves and clever synth arrangements remains the same. Sy’s cover of two classic recordings is also impressive. On “Nights” (Feel like Getting Down) she’s joined by Rahsaan Patterson as they breathe life into the Billy Ocean dance hit. While on “Lovergirl” she woos her lover while flipping the Teena Marie dance track into a tender mid-tempo teaser. From start to finish this disc delivers and could easily ignite your next house party or simply quench your daily soul music thirst. Whatever the case be sure not to miss it.
