When Chronogram’s Peter Aaron sat down to speak with Hudson resident Meshell Ndegeocello last April, the multitalented artist had just returned from an overseas stint promoting her 2012 album Pour une Âme Souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone. Said Ndegeocello at the time, “When I feel like people just want the same thing from me again, I become disinterested and do something else. I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s right, I’m changing. And guess what? I’m gonna change again.’”
The 10-time Grammy-nominated bassist, singer-songwriter, and rapper has stayed true to her word, having released her 11th studio album this week. The latest testament to Ndegeocello’s inventive and ecclectic style, Comet, Come to Me offers bouncing groove rhythms and lush melodic lines, tied together throughout by the artist’s signature bass. Refusing to conform to any single genre, the album features appearances from such varied performers as folk and indie rock musician Shara Worden, soul and funk’s Amp Fiddler, and Texas blues rocker Doyle Bramhall.
Ndegeocello supplements her latest release with a summer tour of several East Coast and international venues. Comet, Come to Me is now featured on NPR’s First Listen. The album is also available for purchase on iTunes, or in the artist’s first-ever web store as a digital download, standard CD, or double-disc vinyl alongside her own signature Fellowship custom bass guitar.