Meshell Ndegeocello: Weather (Naive)

Meshell Ndegeocell
Weather
(Naïve)

The ninth studio release from singer-songwriter, producer, and performer Meshell Ndegeocello is an intimate room of alternative-pop sounds.

As the title suggests, Weather covers the wide array of feelings one may experience in and out of a relationship or just while living life. It’s a personal experience; simple yet complex in its instrumentation. Ndegeocello’s music captures a moment, a time of vulnerability.  Weather reminds me of 1999’s Bitter and 2009’s Devil’s Halo—LPs that are full of emotion, heartbreak, love, and sadness–except that it is now 2012 and the prolific songwriter is still sifting through those complex feelings of isolation and desire.  “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear” evokes sadness and longing, while “A Bitter Mule” is seemingly about forgiveness, yet “Chance” speaks on “If not for love/I have to refuse it.”

What I’ve always enjoyed about Meshell is that you never know what to expect, from album to album. Sometimes it’s best to just dive in and pray for a connection. Though she hasn’t truly had mainstream success since 1993’s Plantation Lullabies and Bitter, the bassist  still packs venues around the country, which speaks volumes about her ability to write lyrics from the heart and to connect with fans new and old alike!