Ventriloquism
| Meshell NdegeocelloVentriloquism
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
Critic Reviews
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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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