Ventriloquism

| Meshell Ndegeocello

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Ventriloquism

Ventriloquism is the 12th studio album from Meshell Ndegeocello, released on March 16, 2018. The album covers eleven R&B and pop tracks originally recorded in the 1980s and 1990s. -Wikipedia

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  • Pitchfork

    2018 - Tackling a range of R&B radio hits from the 1980s and 1990s, Meshell Ndegeocello treats the practice of covering another’s songs as an act of intimacy and empathy.  

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  • NPR

    2018 - carefully curated homage to some of the era's definitive sonic innovators 

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  • The Guardian

    2018 - these are bold offerings – creative, unpredictable and rich with Ndegeocello’s sensual contralto. There is intention here, a subtle, transformative magic.  

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  • Spin

    2018 - Some of these songs she practically eats, some she wraps herself in like a warm coat, and some she just takes out dancing, but all feel lived in. This is a record about, and full of, transformation. 

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  • Albumism

    2018 - Ventriloquism finds her giving voice to her pain through the works of others, and in doing so, making the journey all her own. It’s an album well worth diving into whether you are a fan of the original recordings or not.  

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  • Slant Magazine

    2018 - It turns commonly held conceptions of canon on their head, implicitly asks for a more inclusive understanding of song craft, and—most of all—celebrates a group of songs that resonate in a variety of contexts and arrangements.  

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  • Spectrum Culture

    2018 - Ventriloquism is a thrill and a surprise.  

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  • Soul Tracks

    It’s when she forces us to reconceive our understandings of songs we thought we knew and pushes us to find new ways to interpret them ... More than a ventriloquist, Ndegeocello proves herself a master. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

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  • Pop Matters

    2018 - Her musical sensibilities are about as close to flawless as it gets, her instincts finely honed and her style refreshingly indescribable.  

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  • Now Toronto

    2018 - Meshell Ndegeocello's Ventriloquism is what a covers album should be 

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  • Exclaim!

    2018 - After a few listens, it becomes clear why Ndegeocello plucked music from the '80s and stripped away their glitter and innocence — it's a clever metaphor for her outlook on the world.  

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  • All Music

    The quartet, occasionally joined by players such as Doyle Bramhall II, Jeff Parker, and Levon Henry, roams fluidly through funk, roots music, and unclassifiable stylistic amalgamations, like they're doing so on an intuitive level.  

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  • WTOP

    2018 - even a dummy will tell you that “Ventriloquism” is worthy of all ears 

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  • The House That Sould Built

    2018 - Even on a covers album, Meshell Ndegeocello never eschews the subversion for which she is much celebrated. 

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  • Relix

    2018 - Ndegeocello’s willingness to take on any musical goal she sets for herself is usually more than enough  

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  • Black Grooves

    2018 - On Ventriloquism, Ndegeocello unleashes her extraordinary creativity, reimagining classic songs of the ‘80s and ‘90s in new and unexpected ways. In doing so, she also demonstrates her independence from an industry that too often tries to pigeonhole black artists and black music. 

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  • Jazz Music Archives

    2018 - “Ventriloquism”, is a set of cover tunes, but these versions are far more than mere copies, instead, Meshell and her quartet transform each of these songs into something much more than what they were originally.  

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  • Anhedonic Headphones

    2018 - a dense record, full of fragmented familiarity, to soundtrack difficult times 

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  • Piladelphia Gay News

    2018 - Ventriloquism” definitely ranks as an essential listen for fans of Ndegeocello as well as fans of the artists she covers. 

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  • August Day

    2018 - It turns commonly held conceptions of canon on their head, implicitly asks for a more inclusive understanding of song craft, and—most of all—celebrates a group of songs that resonate in a variety of contexts and arrangements 

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  • wn.com

    2018 - "just because of the vibration it gives off."  

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  • Gina Loves Jazz

    Well, Meshell is back big time with an album of covers.  

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  • The Urban Music Scene

    2018 - Quality never waned and, most importantly, the creativity with which the songs were approached was never less than astounding. 

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  • Choon Group

    Ultimately, though, Ventriloquism achieves precisely what Ndegeocello set out to do: pay special tribute to songs, and artists, she loves.  

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