I had the opportunity to listen to her latest CD, Weather, several times before hearing her in concert this week in Alexandria, Virginia — which was fortunate because the concert largely featured songs from the album. It continues basically in the style explored on her past two albums: radically different from the neo-soul that defined her debut in the early 90s.
At first I was skeptical how much I would like the new album. A large number of simple, slow songs made the album seem almost lugubrious, akin to Bitter (another album that baffled many listeners but which I fell in love with). Weather is a superb album; the quality grows with each hearing. Ndegeocello is generous on this album with sharing writing credit and recording covers (for example, a truly fine version of Leonard Cohen’s “Chelsea Hotel”). Songs like “Weather,” “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear,” and “Dead End” are filled with delectable asymmetrical phrases that keep you off balance. Even a song with a straight-ahead rhythm like “Dirty World” is comprised of odd vocal phrases. Many of the songs don’t end so much as die with a whimper. The overall effect is to create an unsettled feeling that reinforces the subject matter of many of the songs.
One of my favorite moments occurs toward the end of “Dead End,” where Ndegeocello breaks out with an exuberant descending bass line that jumps briefly out of the rhythmic structure. When she played this motive in concert on Tuesday, it made the hairs stand up on my neck.
What I like best about Meshell Ndegeocello is that she is constantly challenging herself and her audience. Twenty years ago, music was foreground for my friends and me, not background. I don’t know if that’s still as true for people today. But open this album, let it breathe, spend some time with it, and you’ll be richly rewarded.