Maysa - Motions Of Love (2011)

Age can bring wisdom and time may bring closure, but that doesn't prevent heartbreak from becoming an occasional stumbling block, even for someone as gorgeous and gifted as Maysa. Last year had been a banner one for the multiple-genre-conquering singer and songwriter, thanks to her critically-acclaimed eighth CD, A Woman In Love, and the rejuvenated love affair that helped the music sound all the more vibrant and real.
Fast-forwarding to the present, 2012 is right around the corner and Maysa, now living single, is back with Motions Of Love. This time, in addition to the classically-styled ballads and mid tempos, Ms. Maysa pairs up with producer Chris "Big Dog" Davis (Will Downing, Kim Waters) and explores a cooler, more contemporary side of her range, giving equal weight to the joys----and trials---- of life and romance.
With nearly two decades of hit-making expertise and an alto like smoked honey, Maysa's skills remain peerless: "Come Dance With Me," an invitation to overcome an argument and hit the dance floor, is fluttery and flirtatious, while "Day N Night" offers up a first from her expansive repertoire: a come-hither 'rap' verse grafted within a track that channels the wonders of new love. If you haven't heard her collaboration with Dwele yet, "Flower Girl," brace yourself because it's one of her most infectious up tempos ever, pairing his sinewy tenor with her sultry style within an undulating, urbanized groove: "Jaded by life's seasons, I'm in need of your touch..you bring beautiful colors, you give me light." Another sublime addition, "Have Sweet Dreams," reunites her with Stevie Wonder and Kimberly Brewer, who penned the mesmerizing, mid-tempo as a duo and added his instantly-recognizable harmonica and percussive vocalizing (Maysa sang with his Wonderlove group in the early 90s) to the mix. "You're the one who has the whole world on your shoulders," she coos, "though no one can see it in your lovely smile/it is time for you to be where I can soothe you, come inside my deepest love, just for awhile." Literally and symbolically, "Dreams" showcases a performer who has come full circle since originally working professionally with the icon, a gentle buffer between love's passionate moments and its inevitably painful setbacks.
Given the romantic roller-coaster she's endured, Maysa's earned the right to let a flash of temper and pessimism color her work, but instead, she remains pragmatic and empowered. The most poignant number is a delicately-rendered remake of Angela Bofill's "I Try," with other songs decidedly.well, less sentimental. "You Won't Find Your Way" rebuffs a lover's head games, then the title track pleads for another man to simply end to the charade: "You hold me close and you won't let go, but there's no fever, no life, no lover's glow/Please don't make me go through your motions of love.." "When It's Over," a misty-eyed ballad about a love that once was, offers up a saucy, spoken reprisal guaranteed to raise eyebrows ("I wanted to feel the safety of your love, but you sent me to voicemail two days in a row?") alongside "Your Name's Not On the List," a plucky dismissal of a Certain Somebody while she accomplishes more pressing matters in life: "There'll be a butt I have to kiss, but your name ain't on the list." Well alrighty then!
Catchy and cathartic, as well as buoyant and bittersweet, Motions of Love encapsulates why Maysa is so relatable, yet so rare at the same time: it's the way her verses and vocals convey those ubiquitous emotions while, inimitably, expressing her personal truths in the process. Highly Recommended. ~ Melody Charles