Meshell Ndegeocello
Synonym
Blue Note
Listen Below
If you’d told me twenty-five years ago that I’d be sitting here waxing lyrical about a version of Ja Rule and Ashanti’s monstrous (in every way, to my ears at least) hit “Always On Time,” I’d have laughed and told you to take a running jump. But here we are and it’s all Meshell Ndegeocello’s fault.
Ndegeocello is no stranger to cover versions—in 2012 she released a set of Nina Simone covers and in 2018, a varied set of delectable covers under the title, Ventriloquism. Now, hot on the heels of a trio of incredible albums, a new collection of covers has appeared with a guest list for the ages.
From multi-hyphenate Cynthia Erivo, through vocal royalty Chaka Khan to the uniquely toned Anohni, each and every guest is placed to perfection alongside Ndegeocello’s mellifluous and velvety tones. And as for the songs themselves, they take in a couple of Bob Dylan’s finest, country royalty’s best and two brothers Gibbs belters written for other artists, as well as the aforementioned early 2000s “banger” and plenty more besides.
I cannot claim to be on first name terms with all fifteen of the songs here (I’m looking at you, “Golden Ring” and “Hunger Strike”), but the vast majority are songs that are lodged somewhere in my consciousness and in selecting them, Ndegeocello revels in taking some huge songs and entirely making them her own. The choice of artists to share the stage with feels pointedly inclusive and diverse; the album is a big, whole-hearted embrace of humanity and musicality in all of its guises.
Listen to the Album:
Sonically it feels like a hug too—the kind of hug you get from a best friend after a long time. It is deep, reassuring and all enveloping. Key to that is Meshell’s intimate production work but also her voice, itself. She has such a delicious burr that strikes a chord in me that few others do.
The truly great covers find something new to present to the listener, and Ndegeocello and Cat Power do exactly that on The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.” The same song you’ve heard a million times on ‘80s compilations or on commercial radio, is lent a tangible air of menace in the delivery of the “you better change it back or we will both be sorry” line. Being an ignorant man who pays more attention to the music than lyrics, to hear the song presented this way was a revelation.
In reworking the songs, Ndegeocello knows exactly what to keep and what to change. Alongside Lianne La Havas’ delightful voice and guitar work, the impeccable bass line of “Don’t Look Any Further” is front and center and in the safest hands imaginable in Ndegeocello. As far as safe hands go, the combination of Lizz Wright, Emily King and Ndegeocello on Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack’s classic “Be Real Black For Me” is nigh on impossible to beat.
Great vocalists alongside sympathetic production and high-quality material is a hallmark of the project and nowhere is that clearer on the album closer, Bob Dylan’s “With God On Our Side.” Bill Callahan’s gruff, world-weary vocal is central, but there’s an undercurrent of malevolence provided by the drum machine’s rat-a-tat-tat, that underlines the song’s message, lending an unmistakable power to its already devastating message.
Despite the huge list of guest vocalists and performers and the bewildering array of songs from different genres, there is a unifying thread that runs through it, that can only be described as “Meshell.” Her generosity of spirit, sense of inclusivity and musical excellence unite the disparate elements and create a stirring celebration of humanity and songcraft.
Notable Tracks: “Be Real Black For Me” | “Don’t Look Any Further” | “Guilty” | “With God On Our Side”
LISTEN:
