Though she comes from Nigerian and German roots, songbird
Ayo records her albums in English. On her second album, she continues something of an eclectic approach to songwriting, layering vulnerability and strength upon one another in her vocals and following a relatively bare compositional structure. Combined with a short, almost-live recording process, the sound is at least somewhat spontaneous, seeming to have moments of improvisation mixed into the finished result. When she's on, as in the exquisite "Maybe (Ayo Blues)," she has a
Tracy Chapman quality to her sound, carrying an excellent blues feel and a bare voice that runs over with emotion, and that trademark mix of vulnerability and strength. When she's less on point, as in the reggae-infused "Get Out of My Way," or the pitchy "Better Days," the show is a little less enticing. It's a little hit and miss, but
Ayo's got a lot of spunk in her sound and a lot of embers burning quietly away. As a sophomore effort,
Gravity at Last puts on a good show and points to even better things as she develops further. ~ Adam Greenberg