We first encountered FLO through the irresistible British R&B charm of “Cardboard Box,” and later singles like “Summertime” only sealed the affection. There was something in the melodic precision of those tracks that reminded me of Sugababes, yet FLO’s debut kept pushing to reclaim the legacy of artists such as Aaliyah; very well executed, yes, but a touch too revivalist.
After the Grammy nomination for that album, FLO chose, in their sophomore effort, to continue down the path of imitation, albeit adopting a sound that’s less futuristic and more timeless. The record won’t propel their stardom, though it at least sustains the interest of fans of the genre.
Released after a delay tied to Jorja Douglas’s vocal-cord operation, “Therapy at the Club” preserves the 2000s R&B-pop blend, the vocal harmonies, and the female-empowerment lyrics, because FLO say they have “matured,” and that maturity shows in the music.
FLO’s maturity arrives with a repertoire that remains referential without venturing far beyond. On the more R&B side, what stands out isn’t so much the standard “Small Doses” or the Toni Braxton-esque “Miss U Missing Me,” but the superb Timbaland homage “Leak It,” less convincing on “Sex in Peace,” while the combination of strings and the “Bootylicious” groove in “Touché” probably forms the project’s best song.
The album tells stories about the dangers of love (“Cry Ugly”) or about breaking a friend’s heart, as in “Don’t Break Her Heart,” which is also melodically one of the most immediate tracks here. “Therapy at the Club” offers a set of songs that adhere closely to the R&B formula, yet none immediately emerges as the hit the group would need to explode commercially.
The variety comes from the acoustic guitar in “Sober,” the funk rhythm of “Remedied,” and the 80s vibe of the closing track “Haterbooth,” which works better as a tribute to the pop-rock of that era than as a direct successor to “Pose,” even though it samples Technotronic’s “Pump Up the Jam.” “Side Effects” opens the album with a reminder that the Mariah Carey of the 2000s has also been highly influential. In that light, FLO could look to innovate more than they do here.
