Meshell Ndegeocello disturbs me and so does her new album: Devil’s Halo

I had the very happy, accidental, pleasure of hearing Meshell Ndegeocello play live at the House of Blues in New Orleans sometime in the late 1990′s. I honestly cannot even remember who opened for her, or if she opened for someone else. But I do quite clearly remember being captivated by her, this small woman, bass guitar slung low, with a personality that just could not be contained within that diminutive frame. Her sexuality was both on display and at the same time completely hers for the giving – do you understand that sentence? She had it, she knew it, and she doled it out at her desire, at her command and to her own measure. I have always remembered something she said that night, after literally making us move and join her in amazing grooves and beats; we were clamoring for more. Women and men were begging for her to continue, whistling and cat-calling from the audience, and she turned to the crowd, with a sly smile, and said “Oh, you want me? Are you objectifying me now?! Am I here for your pleasure or mine?” And even though I knew the pleasure went both ways and that she loved toying with us like this, it disturbed me a bit. …. I like to be disturbed like that.

And this new album will cause the same disturbance in you, dear readers. I will admit that I’ve not kept up with Meshell Ndegeocello over the past 10 years. I wish I had. Some say that with this record, Devil’s Halo, she’s returned to her roots, to the sound she first brought to us, her adoring public. Either way, I’ve listened to it a few times through now and it is wonderful. Released on Oct. 6 on Downtown Records, it’s both soft, melodic,  full of high notes as well as full of that big, fat, sexy groove that I remember so clearly from the first moment I saw and heard her. But don’t listen to this record just for the variety of sounds (incorporating electronica in such an ambient and perfectly balanced manner) and for her syrupy smooth voice. Meshell has always been a cutting-edge lyricist. Songs on Devil’s Halo like “Die Young” with it’s chorus of “I always pick the wrong way, it feels right, the way to go” haunt my headphones. “White Girl” has one of her classic, funky bass lines and exploits it to express the vast racial contrast the lyrics describe in just so many words. These twelve songs are just the kind of album to put on and soak in. You will remember bits and pieces of them throughout your day. They will become fast favorites, I can say that from experience, even after only a few listens.

Chicago, she’s playing tonight at the Old Town School of Folk Music as part of the Decibelle Music and Culture Festival. Do not miss this opportunity to hear what is certainly one of the most under-rated artists of the past 20 years.

Click on the songs below to stream them and you will  find a link to buy the album on itunes. Or buy from Amazon

*I’m tagging this with my “no idea what this is” tag because of any artist I can name for you, Meshell Ndegeocello really is one of the few who defy genres. So don’t take that tag as an insult of any kind. It most certainly is not!

And yes, I’ve got loads to tell you about where I’ve been the past five or so days… oh lordy! The Tart has been out on the town more nights than she should really own up to; and I’ve got two delicious interviews to write up, one with The School of Seven Bells and one with The Depreciation Guild. Give me a bit of time to get over this nasty cold I caught from those punks at RiotFest (which was a total blast!!!) and I’ll catch you all up, I promise, xoxo