Emily's D+Evolution
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Emily's D+Evolution is the fifth studio album by the American musician Esperanza Spalding, released on 4 March 2016 on Concord Records. 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
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 84/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10[5] |
| PopMatters |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
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 13 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[6]
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]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Esperanza Spalding, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(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 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Emily's D+Evolution.[8]
- Main personnel
- Esperanza Spalding – writing (1-11), vocals, bass (1-11), lyrics (8), piano (10, 12), bass synthesizer (12)
- Corey King – backing vocals (1, 2, 5-7, 12), synthesizer (6), writing (8), trombone (8), keyboards (12)
- Emily Elbert – backing vocals (1, 6, 12)
- Nadia Washington – backing vocals (2, 5, 7)
- Celeste Butler – backing vocals (11)
- Fred Martin – backing vocals (11)
- Katriz Trinidad – backing vocals (11)
- Kimberly L. Cook-Ratliff – backing vocals (11)
- Matthew Stevens – guitar
- Karriem Riggins – drums (2-5, 7, 8, 10), percussion (9)
- Justin Tyson – drums (1, 6, 11, 12)
- Anthony Newley – writing (12)
- Leslie Bricusse – writing (12)
- Additional personnel
- Esperanza Spalding – production
- Tony Visconti – production (2-5, 7-10), mixing (2-5, 7, 9, 10)
- Kyle Hoffman – engineering
- Tim Price – engineering
- Erin Tonkon – assistant engineering
- Kyle McAulay – assistant engineering
- Martin Cooke – assistant engineering
- Nicolas Fournier – assistant engineering
- Rich Costey – mixing (1, 6, 8, 11, 12)
- Mario Borgatta – assistant mixing
- Lawrence Azerrad – graphics, design
- Holly Andres – photography
References
- ^ a b Collar, Matt. "Emily's D+Evolution". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ a b Layman, Will (11 March 2016). "Emily's D+Evolution". PopMatters. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ^ Chinen, Nate (17 May 2015). "Review: Esperanza Spalding Recalls the Creativity of Youth in New Songs". New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ^ Johnston, Maura (3 March 2016). "Berklee's Esperanza Spalding thrills with new album". Boston Globe. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ^ a b c Moore, Marcus J. (4 March 2016). "Emily's D+Evolution". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Emily's D+Evolution by Esperanza Spalding". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ^ Weingarten, Christopher R. (4 March 2016). "Emily's D+Evolution". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ Emily's D+Evolution (LP liner notes). Esperanza Spalding. Concord Records. 2016. CRE-38281-01.
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