Meshell Ndegeocello Weather 2011
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Meshell Ndegeocello’s is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (most notable for her bass playing) whose musical influences include soul, reggae, hip-hop and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy Award nominations. She has been credited for having sparked the neo-soul movement. Born in Berlin, Germany in 1968 and raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell played the Washington go-go circuit as a teenager, before moving to New York to pursue a full-time career. She came to the attention of Madonna and was the first artist to sign to her Maverick record label. With a career spanning 20 years, Meshell Ndegeocello’s musical capacity has grown to such lengths that she is capable of releasing an album that is just as well-rounded as it is sincere. The bassist/vocalist’s ninth studio album, Weather, reflects this with carefully arranged instrumentals and reflective lyrics.
1. “Weather” is a sultry and subtly playful love song that sets the pace and tone for the entire record.
2. “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear” is a sorrowful love song with a personal and honest feel. It begins with a toned down, but characteristic string section and shows Meshell’s new-found sophistication.
3. “Feeling for the Wall” unpredictably brings together a blend of contemplative lyrics and a waltz-time melody, and then adds a pop-rock type string section.
4. “Chance” is a smart, bouncy tune with a chorus that one might hear on FM pop.
***5. “Oysters” is a miniature gem with just voice, piano and reverberation. It has a very Lennonesque sound and defies the more somber mood of the album as a whole.
6. “Rapid Fire” is a defiant, soulful and bouncy tune stomp which features Meshell’s stellar bass work.
***7. “Chelsea Hotel” is a Leonard Cohen cover. It is a hush ballad centered around a mournful piano with Meshell's evocative voice a perfect match for Cohen's haunting lyrics.
***8. “Dirty World” is a defiant, soulful stomp that includes an amazing opening bass riff and turns into a somewhat fiercer, bitterer sound. It has some political undertones.
9. “A Bitter Mule” is surprisingly hooky for avant-garde material and seems to have some sexual undertones.
10.“Crazy and Wild” is a moody and raw duet with guest singer Benji Hughes, featuring some bewitching harmonies with a wonderful interplay of male and female voices.
11.“Petite Mort” has deep, husky vocals and warm piano chords.
12.”Dead End” mixes acoustic guitar with electro-keyboard bits and has a dramatic feel.
13.”Don’t Take My Kindness for Weakness” seems like a fitting summation of this CD and is an unpredictable blend of beautifully melancholy meanderings.

My picks: 5, 7, & 8 Ramzi Salti