An artist that I just recently became aware of is Mitski. I had heard buzz about the indie-rocker with her 2016 album, "Puberty 2" when it appeared on several Best Album of the Year lists but I didn't further investigate. The twenty-eight year old singer-songwriter released her fifth studio album, "Be The Cowboy" back in August and it has received even greater acclaim and appeared on even more year-end Best Album lists. This time I made it my mission to listen and I'm so glad I did.
"Be The Cowboy" is a thrilling collection of quirky sounds and sharp, heartfelt lyrics. With most just barely over two minutes or less, these songs are brief sonic explosions of confessional reflection on love, relationships and disappointment surrounded with a lush production provided by her longtime collaborator Patrick Hyland. This is one album you should check out as soon as possible. Here are two music videos for a couple of tracks:
MESHELL NDGEOCELLO
Another artist who I wasn't aware had released a new album until it appeared on some Album of the Year lists is Meshell Ndegeocello. The fifty year old musician, who has been credited with helping spark the neo-soul movement back in the 1990's, had dropped her twelfth album, "Ventriloquism" back in April.
Don't let that the record only features covers of classic soul and funk songs make you hesitate on giving it a chance. These songs, beginning with Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's "I Wonder If I Take You Home" and featuring George Clinton's "Atomic Dog", TLC's "Waterfalls", Tina Turner's "Private Dancer" before closing with "Smooth Operator" by Sade, are almost unrecognizable as Ndegeocello brilliantly gives each one a radical reworking with spare, jazzy grooves. This record is truly unexpected and extraordinary.
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