Mama’s Gun

This album flows so so SO well. Erykah Badu’s voice seems to be polarizing, but I find it suits her neo-soul style and overall vibe very very well. The final track probably could have been cut a bit, but otherwise, a totally gorgeous album. 5/5

I remember this album being a big deal when it came out. I don't really remember why but it was everywhere. My biggest complaint about it is that the vocal arrangements are all oddly the same. Like you can almost replace the vocal parts for one song with any other on the album. That's obviously not 100% true but still, it was something that I noticed. I can see that her voice would also be a bit of a debate for a lot of people. There are good and bad things about it, but I think I like it for the most part. It's, maybe not unique, but different enough to stand out a bit.
I don't really know her music well, but I wouldn't be surprised if this album was kind of a departure from the one she had done before - like her saying 'look how grown up and sophisticated I am now'. But I don't really think it shows that. It sounds like someone trying to make you believe that. I don't know, that may be way off, like I said I don't know her music at all, that's just how it sounds to me. And the lyrics are just bad. If you listen without paying attention it makes it better.
Overall I think this album is good, but not something that would make me want to explore the rest of her catalogue. And I probably wouldn't play it again but if it came up randomly, I'd probably let it play for at least a while. 2.5/5

Although I’m not inherently much of a neo-soul fan, there are quite a few musical elements here that I’m really digging, particularly the bass work on “Didn’t Cha Know”, Roy Ayers’ guest spot on “Cleva”, and the string arrangement/coda of “Time’s a Wastin”. Really, really cool stuff. I definitely felt the length of this one a bit, and there are also a few aspects that I’m not so hot on (definitely just personal preferences, though), but the aspects that I like of it are enough to get me to 3 stars. Perhaps it’s because I listened to it once more out of context, but I actually quite like “Green Eyes”. The jazz kid in me really, really digs the soundscape and shifting sections in that one. Similarly, “Cleva” is hard for me not to really like, and as I mentioned before, that bass line on “Didn’t Cha Know” goes so hard.

One hour and 11 minutes of a genre I don’t love is a bit tough, and I don’t think I’m likely to visit the whole album again any time soon, but I do have a lot of respect for it/her and I’m glad I was finally given a good excuse to check it out.

3/5

Spectacularly smooth evocative and jazzy. An incredible evolution of mid century classic

I didn’t mind this to start with but then it just kept going on and on and on and on. A couple of times I didn’t realise one song had ended and another had started as they sounded so similar.

fantastic instrumentals, incredible follow up to her debut

Better than coldplay

Solid groves

Neo-soul seems like it'd be cool, but turns out, I like regular soul better (just call me an [[old soul] fan]). Hate to be such a hater, but I didn't like Erykah Badu's stuff when she was popular 25 years ago, and my music taste hasn't really evolved much since then. The lyrics seem good (minus a few slurs), but they are too muddled up in the music for me. (Although I did catch the very meta lyric: "What good do your words do / if they can't understand you?") To be fair, the music itself is kinda cool and jazzy, but it's muddled up in the vocals! Much muddle.

Highlight: 'In Love with You' (thanks to Stephen Marley, Delawarean)

This is a nice time, but in a quite unassuming way. My main criticism, if it even is one, is that it doesn’t feel immediate and engaging. It plays more like pleasant, soulful background music, with just a touch of jazz and funk. But you know, everything has its place, and in circumstances where you just want to play something casual, which will sit nicely in the background, this is perfect.

3.5 rounded down.

Very good album. It’s a bit of a time capsule for me, back to a time when neo-soul was hot, and acts like Erykah Brady, D’Angelo, and Music Soulchild were at the height of their powers.

Badu wasn’t in the heaviest rotation for me at that time, but my wife tells a story of how when we first met, she had a boyfriend. So on her drive home she gave herself until a certain point on her trip to think of me, and up until that point, her artist of choice was Erykah Badu.

Love r&b but not the weird political shit

2.15

Fun album. Great vibes

3.5

Pleasant chilled funky sounds spoiled by whiney voice

It took me way too long in life to realize how amazing Erykah Badu is.

No....

I fucking hate R&B. It just makes my skin crawl... This is in the same realm as Solange or D'Angelo. Erykah's voice is so nasally and horrible. Nothing about this album was enjoyable. It was horrid...

Favourite songs: Booty

Least favourite songs: Kiss Me On My Neck, Orange Moon... And the rest of this album....

1/5...... Yuck

Every song got continually more boring. Like why keep going for an hour we get it.

This was fairly bland and unmemorable. Reasonably pleasant to listen to, but I can't see myself coming back to it.