Me’Shell Ndegeocello’s latest release, Bitter, is aptly named. It’s a pretty bitter sounding album. “Adam” begins with violins that sing so ever beautifully; it’s no wonder that she opted not to sing on this track. The next track, “Fool Of Me”, finds Ndegeocello singing over twinkling keys and strings. The song is dark and moody. “Faithful” continues the moodiness, and starts jumping a little to late.
Much of this album is full of solemn lyrics and instrumentation. “May This Be Love” is no different, mixing worldly sounds just a little bit. “Sincerity” has lounge lizard written all over it. “Loyalty” comes off sounding much more cheerful than the seven tracks before it. “Loyalty” is what I like best from Ndegeocello, but instead I got a handful of gloom, which the next few tracks just continue to evoke.
The album ends with “Grace”. The track is one of the best. It is simple and sweet to the ear. Ngedeocello has so much promise, but hasn’t proved it on this release. Those who love a moody sounding album will dig this release, but those who are hoping to find something to get the juices flowing will be disappointed. I’ve listened to this album a lot and still can’t vibe with it. Maybe my tastes aren’t in touch or maybe today was a good day. I love intimacy, but not when it is smothered in somberness.
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