Meshell’s prolific pen
continues to astound
on her latest. Few bass
players so effectively balance extraordinary
skill on the instrument with a genuinely
artful and ambitious approach to composition,
production, and concept. Unlike her
past few efforts, Devil’s Halo is more substantially
the product of human hands and
less the result of extensive time in front of
a sequencer. The record is as dynamic as
ever, though, with alternately dreamy and
ethereal tunes taking massive left-turns into
aggressive go-go and punk. Ndegeocello’s
playing and tone have evolved to encompass
massive fluency in each style, and this
engaging new record is appreciable on many
levels. In short, it’s deep.