Posted on 08/11/2009
Georgia Anne Muldrow, best known for her unique vocal stylings, and signature ethereal -soul sound, has returned with her latest effort, the 24 track, Umsindo. Muldrow, coming off her first two solo albums, Worthnothings and Olesi: Fragments of an Earth, could definitely be characterized as one of music’s more creatively liberal minds, especially since her first two projects were pieces of incredibly written, out-of-this-worldness. But, well, this hurts to say - that trend does not continue with Umsindo.

The best way for me to explain this album is to break it down into three parts: Vocals, Lyrics, and Instrumentation.

Vocals: I figured I’d get the toughest part out of the way first. Umsindo does not offer what most of us have come to love about Georgia Anne Muldrow’s voice. There is something off this time around. Though her voice has always been unique, it’s undoubted that Muldrow can sing, and has a strong sense of tone and harmony. Unfortunately there are several moments on Umsindo where Miss Muldrow is off pitch, and the heavy vocal layering just can’t mask it. For example, “John De Conqueror (One Move)” is almost painful to listen to. Muldrow’s voice is often flat and stale, and runs without control. Her voice reminds me of what my six year old goddaughter sounds like when we coerce her to sing “like grown-ups sing” at the family cookout. Also, Georgia is rapping. And though her rapping isn’t terrible, it’s also not great. On “Uhuru Flight,” we get a double dose, with rapping and her “pitchy” singing. Bummer.

Lyrics: Georgia shines, as usual, when it comes to her song lyrics. She consistently writes poignant, thoughtful, uber-creative lyrics that are often introspective, and culturally relevant. Like on “Generation/You Got It,” a song championing the younger generation she states, “For your numbers are strong, and the love you know is real/Help to teach Jah older people, not to hide the love they feel./ For your joy is needed, and your smile it is so bright/It was for a reason, you was born into this fight.” Quite frankly, you can’t beat that. And on “Roses,” a song also appearing on Mos Def’s new album, Muldrow expresses the process of coping. She says, “When I’m down, I just draw some roses on a pretty piece of paper…” This is such a beautifully written song, and ultimately one of the best on the album.

Instrumentation: The music on Umsindo is a bit spastic and often polar. If it’s not super funky, it tends to drag, as if it were a few bps too slow. Not like on previous albums, where it seemed as though there was a vein running through the entire project. Here Georgia Anne gives us a few different feels, which isn’t always a bad thing. But it’s not always a good thing either. There are songs like “Daisies,” one of my favorite tracks, which happens to be more reminiscent of previous work, but right after it comes the pitch bending, one minute, “Okra.” Then there’re songs like “Sermonette,” and “Fonky Day,” which are bass slapping, superfly grooves that come across as awkward, and dissonant when coupled with Georgia’s (perceived) style. Because of this left of center cornucopia, the album comes across as jumbled and void of cohesion.

So there you have it. I’m a fan, but not of Umsindo. Which by the way, if I’m not mistaken, is a Zulu word that means, “sound.” And though I respect and admire the content of the album, the overall sound leaves much to be desired.

- Jason Reynolds