Meshell’s prolific pen continues to astound on her latest. Few bass players so effectively balance extraordinary skill on the instrument with a genuinely artful and ambitious approach to composition, production, and concept. Unlike her past few efforts, Devil’s Halo is more substantially the product of human hands and less the result of extensive time in front of a sequencer. The record is as dynamic as ever, though, with alternately dreamy and ethereal tunes taking massive left-turns into aggressive go-go and punk. Ndegeocello’s playing and tone have evolved to encompass massive fluency in each style, and this engaging new record is appreciable on many levels. In short, it’s deep.