Sy Smith
Until We Meet Again
The Foreign Exchange Music
Listen Below
Nothing could keep Sy Smith away. Label strife almost prevented the full blossoming of her debut Psykosoul (1999), but the resourceful singer-songwriter phoenixed her way back as an indie with adventurous follow-ups The Syberspace Social (2005) and Conflict (2008). She linked with DJ Mark de Clive-Lowe for the soul-tronic Fast and Curious in 2012 (which made my list of 20 albums I can’t live without). The persistent Smith reclaimed her reins writing and producing the entirety of Sometimes a Rose Will Grow in Concrete (2018) with titles like “I’ll Always Come Back to You” and “Closer Than You Know” that now read as prescient.
But as promised, Smith returns gloriously with Until We Meet Again. It's especially exciting because—after a decade plus of collaborating with The Foreign Exchange—Smith has officially joined their FE+ Music roster. Phonte serves here as executive producer with Zo! and Tall Black Guy as primary sound architects. Listening to that pair’s Abstractions (2021) and gifted collaborator BeMyFiasco’s Where I Left You (2021) gave some idea what sonic trajectory Smith might take, but this has far exceeded expectations. The results of their joint foray yields Smith’s most composed and accessible release yet.
After COVID-19 forced separations upon everyone, Until We Meet Again is an enthusiastic homecoming. The overarching theme is that of missed connections. Be they nostalgic remembrances (“Summer of ‘93”), persisting entanglements (“Why Do You Keep Calling Me”), disconnection from self (“Photograph,” “Remember How to Fly”), mourned love (“Always Pick Up for You,” “Until We Meet Again”), happy severances (“Masterclass”), or ever ready reunions (“Slide”), Smith speaks to a thorough cross-section of bonds breaking and building.
As previously spotlighted on Albumism, the set’s energetic initial offering “Slide” made a boisterous impression in October 2023. The full project, however, is an uncommonly smooth ride given the wide range of tempos. The brief but enveloping intro “Flowers” calls to mind The Emotions’ colorful 1976 record, as well as its untouchable jazz-funk aesthetic. It sets the bar high, then proceeds to leap over it.
This leads right into its intimate, warm second single “Why Do You Keep Calling Me,” a smoky slab of flawless soul. Smith evokes multiple traditions at once. The tight-pocketed band resembles Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International catalog. Smith can channel Minnie Riperton’s delicate, close-mic’d delivery and dazzling whistle range and for punch, the justifiable pettiness of Jill Scott (“She seems like the kind of girl you really need / If mediocrity is your thing”). Dre King’s sumptuous Fender Rhodes solo could have sat amidst the grooves of Herbie Hancock’s Secrets (1976). Zo! and Tall Black Guy supply back-to-back masterful tracks, but Smith’s self-produced outlier here sportily upstages her guests.
Listen to the Album:
Elsewhere, the wistful and introspecting “Photograph” and “Remember How to Fly” let the slightest touches of bossa nova enrich their colors. The latter finds esteemed horn man Chris Botti guesting for Smith as she regularly does for him on tour. Their energy prepares the way for the heart-rending “Always Pick Up for You,” a gorgeous surprise in this perfectly scripted sequence. With the sincerity of Diana Ross dedicating “Missing You” to Marvin Gaye, Smith lets her voice levitate until it breaks—as if just the right frequency could resurrect a loved one.
After a string swell washes into the sexy, shuffling “Slide” as a chaser, the party continues with a heaving helping of high-minded disco. Galloping Brazilian rhythms on “Masterclass” inspire whirling dresses and clicking heels all night long. Featured personnel Sheila E. on percussion and Leo Amuedo on guitar steadily drive up the temperature on this hard-won love lesson (“Hey teacher, teacher, tell me what we learned today? / We gonna carry the one, and then I take my love back!”).
Hip-hop’s influence is saved for last on still-bubbling highlights. “Summer of ‘93” is a carefree reminiscence on teenage love with rapper Tracey Lee. It draws on the sophistication of Gaye’s “What’s Going On” yet packs enough bounce for Mary J. Blige’s trademark bop with thigh-high boots on. Soon, Phonte steps to the mic to croon with Smith on “All the Ways,” a smoothed-out bridge from ‘70s soul, across ‘80s hip-hop, ‘90s R&B, and into 2000s neo-soul.
Though the classic R&B influence is heavy on Until We Meet Again, a debt is owed to the work of Stan Getz, João Gilberto, and Antônio Carlos Jobim for the ribbons of Brazilian rhythm and harmony that wind throughout. They erupt in celebration on the title cut, a requiem for beloved family and friends, now-turned ancestors. Smith’s whisper-soft encouragement instructs how to keep love living forever by saying their names aloud.
Musically, Until We Meet Again speaks many names. As if flipping through dusty crates of Jean Carne, Curtis Mayfield, Linda Clifford, Teddy Pendergrass, Phyllis Hyman, and Marlena Shaw platters, Smith touches on a wealth of satisfying soul treasures with this, her sixth LP. “You ever pick up an old photo album that you haven’t seen in many years and look through it?” Smith posits in a press release. “And all the memories of each photo come flooding back as if those pictures were just taken yesterday? That’s what Until We Meet Again feels like.”
That’s a lofty claim, but all it takes is one listen to readily agree. With the musical, vocal, lyrical, and emotional aptitude collected on Until We Meet Again, it makes for a robustly embodied experience. We are unlikely to meet its equal anytime soon.
Notable Tracks: “Masterclass” | “Slide” | “Summer of ‘93” | “Why Do You Keep Calling Me”
LISTEN: