AMG Review of Flipside

Rick Anderson
All Music Guide

The debut EP from this aspiring dance-club diva is a mixed success, but a success overall. The five tracks are all variations on a jazzy, funky, down-tempo theme, and Minga impresses not only with her sultry voice but also with her accomplished keyboard and guitar playing and drum programming. The problem, though minor, lies in the sameyness of the songs and the often dry melodies -- some good hooks would have made this material irresistible, but instead what they mostly provide is an expert and consistently low-key funk groove that is attractive but not really remarkable. The album's best moments come on the title track, which features a decent rap interlude by Alfred Howard and jazzy trumpet courtesy of Anilh Rameshwar, and with the especially sturdy groove of "Easy for You." Its least effective track is "Perfectly," which meanders aimlessly for four-and-a-half minutes. Minga shows definite promise; with a bit more attention to songcraft she'll be worth watching.