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This is a classy release and definitely one who likes their soul on the traditional side, with a hint of Gospel. This lovely Lady so reminds me, vocally, of Melissa Morgan. This is the type of classy, quality female vocalist who would have been given prominence at, say, Capitol with some heavy support from Beau Huggins, Kashif etc back in the 80s. A talent of Marian’s proportions deserves all the exposure and fanfare possible: the album is SOLID. The set is mingled in with some interesting conversational interludes about love and relationships. I think it’s interesting to hear what a woman thinks, and an excellent insight into this Lady’s philosophy can be heard here.
The opening song is sheer class. The intro is pure Hush Productions, late 80s style, leading into the delicious mid pacer “Let’s Talk About Love”. Soul music in 2008 rarely gets better than this. “Supernatural Love” also reaches the parts today’s R&B cannot reach. The beats are programmed, the piano interspersed and the baseline infectious. The excellent funky guitar works well atop this groove, and the female harmonies are second to none. “I’m So Hurt” is one of the most contemporary pieces on here, but definitely more at the classier end of the market, so do not discount it. “Never Should Have Let Me Go” has a hint of Babyface, and the synth melts into the acoustic guitar and keys.
I have to say however much I enjoy the CD as a whole there are 3 standout cuts lined up in a row that I really must draw your attention to. First up is the ballad, “Should We Try” which is Melissa Morgan through and through and is ESSENTIAL. The deliberately ethereal Steinway Grand Piano and backing vocals are enough to make the hair on your arms stand up. Following this is the equally exalted cut, the chilled and cool “Song For My Brothas” and the winner of all has to be the Inspirational “What Do You Do?” which gets my goose bumps going. This has a classic 80s Jam & Lewis feel to it. The strong piano led groove is underpinned by an eerie and soulful synth and finger-clicking beat, again, the harmonies are top-notch. I love this song to pieces and cannot stop playing it…real soul at its very best! “What Is Going On” appears in 3 versions and all three are great, albeit variations on a theme. Even the rap version is good; the wordsmith is obviously intelligent, the lyrics are socially conscious and pertinent for today. A solid album. As far as I am concerned a ‘No Risk Disc”.
Barry Towler
- Soulchoonz.com
Marian Marie is an unabashed adult soul singer. Oh, there are songs on Marie's debut record, Simply Me, that might have some appeal to the younger set - namely the up-tempo "Wait on Me." But this is the type of album that will get played on repeat when the girlfriends get together to talk. And men, we know what they will be talking about. At some point during the conversation, the women will talk about relationships.
Marie uses Simply Me to literally place her listeners in the room when the girlfriends caucus. Marie includes three short vignettes where a group of women discuss the pitfalls of the dating process, what crisis reveals about a man's character and the importance of being committed to a relationship. Each vignette serves as a theme that either brings a deeper understanding to the songs that precede it or introduce the two or three songs that follow.
It's an interesting concept. It works in part because the songs support the statements made by the women who speak in the vignettes. Take the first theme, "Let's Talk About Dating." The women talk about how people are on their best behavior when they are dating. However, they also noticed that guys become their real selves when the courtship ends. "Let's Talk About Love" and "Supernatural Love," the two songs that precede the vignette, are all about the potential. In the soulful "Let's Talk About Love," Marie sings about the hope and expectations that couples have when a relationship begins. "Supernatural Love," which is another mid-tempo groove, is where Marie expresses the emotions people feel when love is new and your partner is pushing all the right buttons.
The two songs that follow the vignette - "I'm So Hurt" and "Never Should Have Let Me Go" - explore the other side of relationships. In "I'm So Hurt," Marie sings about trying to deal with the painful realization that her lover simply isn't into her. "I'm so hurt/I'm so sad/Still I try not to be mad/I'm so blue this can't be true/Still I try to get over you."
From an artistic standpoint, it helps that Marie has a fully mature voice and can handle slow, mid-tempo and fast songs with ease. She can be mournful and almost needy on "I'm So Hurt," and then flip it 180 degree and be sassy and assertive on "Wait On Me."
Of course, the youngsters talk about love and relationships too. However, the discussions that the younger sisters have are different. The youngsters sometimes dwell on superficial things such as looks and money. They also get mired in the drama. Women, who know from hard experience what money can and cannot buy, tend to focus on substantive things such as honesty, commitment and communication. Young people tend to get mired in drama. Simply Me is vocal confirmation that time brings wisdom, and that adults strive to struggle through the drama and conflict to find solution and affirmation in love from a higher source.
By Howard Dukes
- Soul Tracks
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Marian Marie, born into a family of talented musicians who include both parents and the famed Montgomery brothers (Wes, Buddy & Monk), uses her vocal talents to give a voice and beat to the cry of society that asks the questions “What is going on with love? Why are relationships so difficult? And What can we do about it?”
She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California with the advantage of parents who were brought up in the South and embraced old fashioned values. She had the added advantage that both parents were professional musicians. Her father, Mose M. Ensley Jr., a singer, plays keyboard and has been a band director since forming his first band while in high school. Her birth mother, Beatrice Marie Ensley, was also a vocalist. Her parents, combined their middle names to name their daughter, Marian Marie. Marian Marie is a reflection of her name which means: “Star of the Sea” & “Gracious”.
True to the meaning of her name, Marian Marie announced to her family at the age of seven that she was going to be a “star.” As a preschooler she watched her mother and father rehearse in their garage with a full band playing good old school music by Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight, to name a few. She would watch from a distance until they gave her the mic and invited her to sing. At that moment, a “star” was born. Her parents and these artists, along with others like Barbra Streisand, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Phyllis Hyman, Angela Bofill and Anita Baker greatly influenced her musical aspirations and career. From the moment she grabbed the mic in the garage she was compelled to sing and a star was born. Her first stellar performance came shortly afterwards when she and her siblings performed “I Need Some Money” for her parents to convince them to fund one of their planned adventures. She was introduced to the professional world in her premier performance singing in her father’s band, ME & Friends, an accomplished Los Angeles musical group of diverse genres which has been performing in the Southern California area since the 1960’s. Marian Marie’s natural gift flourished under the professional tutelage of her father and second mother, Oreatha Ensley, who encouraged and supported her career every step of the way. She studied private piano and violin lessons including a music program for children at USC. She has performed with ME & Friends from the age of 14 years to the present time.
Though she went into the business side of the music industry for a season as a director at Vibe Magazine, she never left her first love of singing. She could be found weekends performing with ME & Friends and headlining at the Culver Club at the Radisson Hotel in Culver City, CA. She could also be found performing around town at weddings, churches, high profile events, even singing the national anthem at a nationally televised basketball game at her alma mater, UCLA, as well as the Los Angeles Marathon and Vince Evans Charity Golf Tournament. If you stood around and listened to congratulatory comments after a performance, they always included the statement, “You must record an album and make sure you let me know when you do.” Currently Marian Marie is completing her first album serving as executive producer. She wrote and/or co-wrote every song on the album.
Her debut album entitled “Simply Me” released under MsMelody Entertainment was given birth when Marian Marie felt God was demanding that she fulfill her divine purpose to communicate through music God’s message that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams, goals and purpose and to experience the transforming power of love as God intended it to be. The album takes listeners on a journey through various, identifiable stages of love encounters such as personal experiences that led them to question what it means to love someone, painful experiences and the healing process, arriving at the destination that ultimately inspires each person to believe and strive for Godly love in all relationships and to have higher standards for the love they give and accept. The listener will join a private conversation between women discussing love relationships – what they used to be, what they are today and what they think they should be. This album is about good “old school” love and values. This album amazes and connects listeners as it echoes their personal experiences and feelings.
The eleven songs that make up the melodic journey of “Simply Me” are a mix of R&B rhythms to Neo-Soul grooves with a hint of jazz flow. The R&B infused “Let’s Talk About Love” opens the album with the real meaning of Love. Other R&B influenced tracks include “Can’t Get You Out of My Mind” and “Bad Situation” which depicts the type of relationship that one should never accept. Then we move to tracks like “What Is Going On?” which pays homage to Marvin Gaye and addresses many of today’s issue which are out of control and “Sup
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