In Meshell Ndegeocello’s universe, planets are ethereal beats, spare melodies and odd time signatures that expand and contract like the soundtrack to a journey through the cosmos. Leading off with an echoey warning about the future of music, movement and sex against a backdrop of electronic sound, “Hidatha”’s out-there ambience is a misleading premise given the album’s accessible mix of jazz, metal and rock. “The Sloganeer: Paradise” adds Scott Mann and Chad Royce’s new wavy beats to a dark admonition about suicide and desire. Other tracks showcase the breathiest spectrum of Ndegeocello’s vocal skills, her voice employing the same delicate R&B vibe she applies to her guitar, bass and organ work. Despite a predominance of delicate, clean rhythms, the music can also get manic, (“Article 3”) as collaborators Pat Metheney and Robert Glasper recall their fusion chops or when “Shirk” benefits from Omou Sangare’s hauntingly high-strung voice. Channeling a post-punk universe of drum programming, dark emotions and weighty ideas about faith and existence, the album lives up to the bonus track’s title, “Soul Spaceship.”
