Reviewed: Ayo 'Joyful'

Ayo's Joyful album is an experience that begins with a striking pink silhouetted disc opened by 'Down on my knees', a song many have enjoyed by the time of this review. Ayo's voice pulls with an urgency on 'Down on my knees', which follows the theme of lover refusing to be cast aside for a shiny new toy. With a simple island flow, the song just a hare away from being a gritty acoustic kind of blues, tugs at the heart with a reminder of humanity, need perception, and the haunting inevitability of surrender that the heart must make when the ego lets goes after its last roar.

The next song follows with a similar midtempo acoustic island vibe and subtlety, making a grab for the emotional realm of the listener from a new dimension of gratitude in 'Without You', which heralds appreciation,and leaves the heart aglow.

'Letter by Letter' reveals Ayo's journey on Joyful as one that walks the interior of the heart, knocking at the door to the hearts of others. She reveals the insightful turn of her mind in simple but bold declarations (where just a hint of unspoken anger seems to brood beneath the surface), that read lyrically like conversations would between intimate ties.

'And it's supposed to be love' comes through with a sultry bossa nova tempo, where Ayo injects a mood meant to carry the disturbing weight of an imbalanced suggestively abusive romance with an innocent baby girl jazz voice that laments with an almost blank but fitting expression and flair that does not disappoint for the remake of the Abbey Lincoln excursion. The song reveals the very understated but no less powerful and clever mind that remains in control beneath Ayo's gorgeous form. Ayo is a watcher... One of those quiet listeners who watches, sometimes reacts too slowly, and later broods a bit over what she could have done when... before soberly resolving to learn and continue moving along the path.

She would do well to consider flexing her vocals over more sleek jazz tracks in the future. 'And it's supposed to be love' gives the album the seasoning it needs. My spidey senses say she would do a serious service to the jazz genre.

Another song that lifts the album up is 'Help is coming', an incredible feel good song that couldn't be more timely. It manages to inspire without handling the matter of hope too heavy handedly. The force of the hook, though very melodic, bangs and inspires swaying and chair dancing for the timid.

Closing the Cd out, Ayo registers gratitude on the song 'Neva Been' where she glows with praise for a depth of love and joy that is surely the catalyst for titling of the album that found its way in the end to a bright destination.

All an all, the journey Ayo hosts for us on 'Joyful', is an investigation into the inner workings of love, the quiet desire to control it, and the wisdom that surrender is inevitable. It is mostly a mild rhythmic album for those moments where we retreat to a contemplative zone just warm enough to soothe the soul, and deep enough to make us think about our true motivations.

The gentle rocking of island rhythms supporting the sweet voice of an artist who has the potential to find something very special, powerful and even genius deeper within, is pleasant and leaves you hoping Ayo will continue to excavate the memories that will reveal the superpower who stood by silently through it all, hoping one day to be set free to dally amongst the wildflowers like the natural force that it is once reawakened and fully bloomed.

Joyful's Most Magnificent Tracks:

Down on my knees
And it's supposed to be love
Help is coming




Grazi to Robert
for the heads up.