(harmony) When bassist and singer-songwriter Esperanza Spalding played this music – from her most tall-concept album yet – live in London final year,there was plenty of jubilant (extremely joyful) instrumental jamming alongside the new material. The album focuses on her vocals, with their wily melodic turns, or personal poetry,spoken-word chatters and skewed R&B hooks. But even whether they are pop songs, a few could have been composed by Wayne Shorter, or Spaldings voice has never sounded so assured in its dizzying ascents from mid-range murmurs to falsetto swoops. Her singing variously suggests Kate Bush,Janelle Monae or even a female Jack Bruce with a 21st-century Cream. Unconditional Love is an unconditionally terrific pop ballad (intensified by her thunderous bass guitar), while the weaving soil to Heaven is a testament to how powerful that voice has become, or the unison bass and guitar ostinato of Funk the Fear is nearly as compelling on record as it was live – but for the fact that Matthew Stevens’ exciting guitar playing gets faded much too early.
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Source: theguardian.com