Album Review: Marsha Ambrosius, Late Nights & Early Mornings

Marsha Ambrosius


Late Nights & Early Mornings (released March 1, 2011)


Well it’s about time!


Marsha Ambrosius’ debut album has been in the works for at least two and a half years. In that time, Marsha has shed a ton of weight and has been featured on a million songs by an incredibly wide range of performers. Marsha’s own music seemed to be lost among tabloid fluff and her peers star power.


No one will make that mistake again.


A few months ago, a friend challenged me to name the most sultry song I’d ever heard. That was easy – “Say Yes,” not so coincidentally sung my Marsha during her stint in the group Floetry. Stretch “Say Yes” out over the course of 45 minutes and you’ll get a picture of just how steamy Late Nights & Early Mornings can be.


The gentle intro “Anticipation” pours directly into “With You,” which depicts Marsha racing to meet up with her boy toy. The story continues with the title track “Late Nights & Early Mornings” – from the title you can tell how well things went with her guy. Marsha’s jazzy, soul-drenched vocals are a perfect match for all these tracks, along with the Prince-inspired lyrics.


Someone dragged Lauryn Hill from under her rock to pen “Lose Myself” and it sounds just like something from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. If only we were always that lucky. And speaking of getting lucky, “Your Hands” might have a chance to dethrone “Say Yes” as sexiest song ever. The amazing thing is that the song isn’t specifically about sex – it’s just that sultry.


For all of you who talk about how great it would be if the wifey and I had kids, you might get your wish after this album. 


“I Want You to Stay” will trigger memories of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” “Chasing Clouds” has the potential to be Marsha’s next big single to complement her current hit “Far Away” and she even remade an old Portishead track. I was never a fan of “Sour Times,” but I definitely prefer it over the original.


The album is so tightly constructed that even I – supreme hater that I am – have to look pull out a microscope to spot flaws. The silly first single “I Hope She Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player)” sounds very out of place amongst the rest of the material, but Marsha’s amazing vocals keep me coming back. I tend to dislike tracks with rambling lyrics like the ones on “The Break-Up Song,” but in this case the desperation adds to the atmosphere. I also wasn’t very fond of the “Butterflies” Remix, but that’s just because I’m a huge fan of Michael Jackson’s original – which happened to be co-written by Marsha.


It might be a bit presumptuous to label an album that was released March 1 as the album of the year, but it’s gonna take a Herculean effort to top this set.


Late Nights & Early Mornings lifts R&B out of its doldrums and injects the raw emotion that had long been lost. You can bet that critics will no longer wonder about the fate of Floetry, how she lost weight, or how great she sounded on someone else’s song. The spotlight is directly of Marsha.


It’s finally her time.


Best tracks: “Your Hands,” “Far Away,” “Chasing Clouds” – “The Break-Up Song,” too


4.5 stars out of 5