Review:

on 2007-09-20 dscanland Said:

"Like Miles Davis or Joni Mitchell, Ndegeocello challenges musical convention with an ample supply of curveballs." -- The Boston Herald

Canonized, marginalized or just scrutinized, Meshell Ndegeocello has given up with the politics of explaining herself. After 20 years in an industry that has called her everything from avant garde to a dying breed, what unquestionably remains is the inimitable bassist, prolific songwriter and the creativity and curiosity of an authentic musical force. She has earned critical acclaim, the unfailing respect of fellow players, songwriters and composers, and the dedication of her diverse, unclassifiable fans. For the sake of setting the record straight, a few brass tacks remain: Meshell was born in Germany, raised in DC, signed at 23, and nominated for 9 Grammy awards.

On her 7th musical wonder The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams, she questions the inevitable, inconceivable brutality of the world with an arsenal of familiar themes: faith, rage, despair, fleeting joy and nagging doubt. The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams is possibly her most genre-bending album yet, filled with elastic bass playing, breathy crooning, eclectic vocoder noodling and recurring bilingualism. Jazzmen Pat Metheny, Jason Lindner, and Robert Glasper spice up the record with guest performances. Casual fans can recall Ndegeocello's early successes with the unapologetic return to pure funk workouts in songs like "Michelle Johnson," "Headline," and "Solomon." On the flip side of the spectrum, "Virgo" closes with a sparse, truncated sax solo. It is a continuation of the journey, a quest for truth, a plea for beauty, and an elegy for former selves. That said, the truest hallmark of a Meshell Ndegeocello record is its honest evolution from the last, from any before - another stop on the way to transcendence.