12 Little Spells (LP)
Esperanza Spalding
Amoeba Review
08/28/2020
In Esperanza Spalding's music, the orchestral meets the art-funk and the prog, shedding genre restraints in favor of sheer inventiveness. The Bjork-esque concept for her new album, 12 Little Spells, is that each song is dedicated to a body part or function, which in someone else's hands might sound superficial, but the sophisticated music and witty lyrics surpass the concept; ultimately it's just a springboard for Spalding's mountains of talent. “The Longing Deep Down,” for example, is an avant-garde, at times spoken-word, steadily building, fascinating rumination that evokes much more than the abdominal system. The title track is certainly a highlight with its magical atmosphere and incantational melody – in unlikely praise of the thoracic spine.