Ventriloquism
by Meshell Ndegeocello
  • Record Label: Naïve
  • Release Date: Mar 16, 2018
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. NOW Magazine
    Apr 4, 2018
    80
    The greatest strength of the album is that you don’t think of the original artists while Ndegeocello is singing. Some will feel she’s been reckless with beloved jams, others will fall in love with them all over again, and many will discover a new side of them even if they’ve heard the original a million times.
  2. Spin
    Mar 22, 2018
    80
    These are well-loved songs that Ndegeocello loves a little bit more, singing them with a rich, warm tone (she’s never sounded better) and backed by a band who know how to anticipate every bob and weave she might make. It’s one of her best.
  3. Mojo
    Mar 20, 2018
    80
    Ndegeocello's covers album comprises wonderful takes on R&B and soul. [May 2018, p.98]
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  5. PopMatters
    Mar 16, 2018
    80
    Meshell Ndegeocello has never been an artist to stay in anyone else's box, and on Ventriloquism, she shows that she can play any song and stay true to herself. Her musical sensibilities are about as close to flawless as it gets, her instincts finely honed and her style refreshingly indescribable.
  6. AllMusic
    Mar 15, 2018
    80
    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.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Mar 15, 2018
    80
    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.
  8. The Independent (UK)
    Mar 15, 2018
    80
    The results are frequently transformative, and always enjoyable.
  9. Pitchfork
    Mar 19, 2018
    78
    Throughout the length of Ventriloquism, in Ndegeocello’s hands, no cover is ever mere lip service. A cover is an act of scholarship, an act of criticism, an act of intimacy. An act of love.
  10. Exclaim
    Mar 15, 2018
    70
    With tiny flourishes, Ndegeocello injects new meaning into each song she covers.
  11. The Guardian
    Mar 16, 2018
    60
    The result is curiously timeless. Soul, swing and funk classics of yesteryear become strange, new blooms under Ndegeocello’s care.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. brandobean
    Apr 9, 2018
    4
    As a long time Me'shell fan, I wanted to like this disc more than I actually did. I applauded the idea of taking 90s R&B jams and reinventingAs a long time Me'shell fan, I wanted to like this disc more than I actually did. I applauded the idea of taking 90s R&B jams and reinventing them with new energy, and perhaps new rhythmic and harmony ideas. What I got instead was another album continuing Me'shells descent into lethargic low energy acoustic strummers and shy vocals. The funky Me'Shell of old is certainly long gone, but she's always managed to infuse each album with a few forceful inventive songs that utilize her innate musicality and formidable bass skills. This album, for me, had too little of either.… Full Review »
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