Neo-soul would tend to follow such smoothy jazzy meanderings that it's easy to forget that the genre started with this banger right here. Everything is fair game for Meshell's sound: deep bass-driven funk, heartfelt jazzy balladry, confidently rapped verses. You name it. She's got it. Her confrontational presence alone would transform this in an even more political record than it actually is. But it does pack its doses of comments about white standards of beauty and nostalgia for black conscious movements before dwelling in lovelorn or lustful ballads. "If That's Your Boyfriend" incitement of female rivalry doesn't bode well with contemporary feminist movements, though. But that's the price you pay when you're not afraid to voice strong personal views as Meshell does throughout Plantation Lullabies. A record that lacks the focus of other landmark neo-soul records from the time, as well as clear outstanding tracks, it tends to get overshadowed nowadays. However, with a cauldron so full of ideas, it's no wonder other artists would be drinking from it years later.
Bump |
