Josh Ballou
The Broadside

Melancholy with distilled vocals, Meshell Ndegeocello is back with her tenth studio album, “Weather.” Ndegeocello has never shied away from exploring different musical styles and in “Weather” Ndegeocello incorporates new sounds into a style she has been perfecting for over 20 years. Piano heavy and moody Ndegeocello weaves vocals effortlessly into every track in a minimalistic way. On “Rapid Fire” fans get a glimpse of the Ndegeocello they’ve known for almost 20 years as she explores spoken word over this drum heavy track. Elements of rock, folk and country all appear on “Weather.Not like the mainstream artists on today’s pop stations, Ndegeocello challenges listeners to rethink how they process music. “Dirty World” shows Ndegeocello doing what she does best, playing a funky bassline that comes in and out throughout the song.

Ndegeocello is revered in the industry as one of the most prolific bassplayers and artists of our time playing with everyone from Prince to John Cougar Mellencamp.

Ndegeocello is an artist in the purest form, doing music that she wants. No two projects sound the same. But, fans of Ndegeocello will recognize signature progressions in her music and feel the pain she is conveying.

“Petite Mort” is a musical standout with beautiful guitar licks and a syncipated rythm that just leaves the listener nodding their head as Ndegeocello asks, “Who’s your daddy?”

“Weather is a project that won’t be for everyone but if you love to be challenged musically and enjoy light feathered vocal melodies and strong musicianship then Ndegeocello delivers a project thats worth checking out. With 9 previous albums out there I highly suggest you get to know Ndegeocello.

Contact Josh Ballou atJballou@cocc.edu