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Emily's D+Evolution

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Emily's D+Evolution
Studio album by
Esperanza Spalding
Released4 March 2016
StudioNRG Studios, North Hollywood, California
The Magic Shop, Manhattan, New York
HUMAN (NYC), New York City, New York
Genre
Length45:44
LabelConcord
Producer
Esperanza Spalding chronology
Radio Music Society
(2012) 		Emily's D+Evolution
(2016) 		Exposure
(2017)

Emily's D+Evolution is the fifth studio album by American musician Esperanza Spalding, released on 4 March 2016 by Concord Records.

Background

The album was co-produced by Spalding and longtime David Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti.[1][2] On the album, Spalding sings through the alter ego of Emily, which is her middle name.[3][4] In an interview, Spalding stated that Emily "is a spirit, or a being, or an aspect who I met, or became aware of. I recognize that my job...is to be her arms and ears and voice and body".[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[6]
Metacritic84/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[8]
AllMusic[1]
Exclaim!7/10[9]
The Guardian[10]
Now[11]
Pitchfork8.6/10[5]
PopMatters9/10[2]
Rolling Stone[12]
Stereophile[13]
Tom HullB[14]

Emily's D+Evolution received widespread critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 84, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[7]

Marcus J. Moore of Pitchfork Media praised the album, stating, "The lyrics are elusive at first, darting behind fast-moving songs and delivered in impressionistic, conversational bursts that recall the delivery of Joni Mitchell. But the fearless generosity behind them communicates itself loud and clear, and it's a spirit that animates the entire album. With it, Spalding has once again redefined an already singular career, dictating a vision entirely on her own terms".[5] Michael J. Warren of Exclaim! commented, "Emily's D+Evolution is a tough album to get a full grasp on. It's not a neat alter ego side project; rather than going the Chris Gaines route, Esperanza Spalding is again flexing her range, showing that her playing style and voice can find a home in any genre. There are moments here where she falls into a nice pocket that the listener might wish she'd remain in for a little while longer."[9] Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone added, "...Emily’s D+Evolution is a far more ambitious and thornier affair. The lyrics, flowing in disjunctive clusters, are about deleted narratives, glass ceilings and dreams deferred – ultimately a complex, funky prog-rock concept opera about love and identity.[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Esperanza Spalding, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Good Lava" 3:38
2."Unconditional Love" 3:46
3."Judas" 4:10
4."Earth to Heaven" 3:52
5."One" 3:15
6."Rest in Pleasure" 4:59
7."Ebony and Ivy" 4:20
8."Noble Nobles"
3:33
9."Farewell Dolly" 2:07
10."Elevate or Operate" 4:03
11."Funk the Fear" 5:07
12."I Want It Now"
2:51
Total length:45:44
Deluxe Edition
No.TitleLength
13."Change Us"3:57
14."Unconditional Love"9:40

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Emily's D+Evolution.[15]

Main personnel
  • Esperanza Spalding – vocals, bass (tracks 1-11, 13, 14), piano (10, 12), bass synthesizer (12)
  • Matthew Stevens – guitar
  • Karriem Riggins – drums (2-5, 7, 8, 10, 13), percussion (9)
  • Justin Tyson – drums (1, 6, 11, 12, 14)
  • Corey King – backing vocals (1, 2, 5-7, 12-14), synthesizer (6), trombone (8), keyboards (12)
  • Emily Elbert – backing vocals (1, 6, 11, 12, 14)
  • Nadia Washington – backing vocals (2, 5, 7, 13)
  • Celeste Butler, Fred Martin, Katriz Trinidad, Kimberly L. Cook-Ratliff – backing vocals (11)
Additional personnel
  • Esperanza Spalding – production
  • Tony Visconti – production (2-5, 7-10, 13), mixing (2-5, 7, 9, 10)
  • Kyle Hoffman – engineering
  • Tim Price – engineering
  • Erin Tonkon, Kyle McAulay, Martin Cooke, Nicolas Fournier – assistant engineering
  • Rich Costey – mixing (1, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13)
  • Mario Borgatta – assistant mixing
  • Paul Blakemore – mastering
  • Lawrence Azerrad – graphics, design
  • Holly Andres – photography

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 148
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[17] 175
French Albums (SNEP)[18] 181
US Billboard 200[19] 88
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[20] 1

References

  1. ^ a b Collar, Matt. "Emily's D+Evolution". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b Layman, Will (11 March 2016). "Emily's D+Evolution". PopMatters. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  3. ^ Chinen, Nate (17 May 2015). "Review: Esperanza Spalding Recalls the Creativity of Youth in New Songs". New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  4. ^ Johnston, Maura (3 March 2016). "Berklee's Esperanza Spalding thrills with new album". Boston Globe. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Moore, Marcus J. (4 March 2016). "Emily's D+Evolution". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Emily's D+Evolution by Esperanza Spalding reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Emily's D+Evolution by Esperanza Spalding". Metacritic. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  8. ^ Turner, Mark F. (12 April 2016). "Esperanza Spalding: Emily's D+Evolution". All About Jazz. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  9. ^ a b Warren, Michael J. (2 March 2016). "Esperanza Spalding: Emily's D+Evolution". Exclaim!. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  10. ^ Fordham, John (3 March 2016). "Esperanza Spalding: Emily's D+Evolution review – unconditionally terrific". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  11. ^ CLARKE, CHRISTINE (9 March 2016). ">>> Esperanza Spalding: Emily's D+Evolution". Now. Now Communications. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  12. ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher R. (4 March 2016). "Emily's D+Evolution". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  13. ^ Baird, Robert (17 May 2016). "Recording of June 2016: Emily's D+Evolution". Stereophile. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Esperanza Spalding". Tom Hull. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  15. ^ Emily's D+Evolution (LP liner notes). Esperanza Spalding. Concord Records. 2016. CRE-38281-01.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ "Ultratop.be – Esperanza Spalding – Emily's D+Evolution" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Esperanza Spalding – Emily's D+Evolution" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Lescharts.com – Esperanza Spalding – Emily's D+Evolution". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Esperanza Spalding Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Esperanza Spalding Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
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