Exposure
Esperanza Spalding · 2017
43 min · 10 tracks · funk
A daring blend of avant-garde jazz, complex rhythms, and soulful melodies that challenge conventional song structures.
Top tracks — play these first
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Swimming Toward The Black Dot — This track exemplifies the album's experimental nature with its intricate arrangements and rhythmic complexity, setting the tone for the entire project.
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Heaven In Pennies — The song showcases Spalding's vocal prowess and lyrical depth, blending elements of jazz and soul while exploring themes of love and existential reflection.
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Colonial Fire — With its provocative title and rich instrumentation, this track confronts historical narratives while demonstrating Spalding's ability to fuse storytelling with musical exploration.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album's innovative structure and varied instrumentation create a distinctive sound that challenges norms.
What we noticed
- The album features a non-linear structure, with tracks transitioning into one another without traditional verse-chorus forms.
- The instrumentation varies widely across the album, including unconventional uses of bass, strings, and electronic effects.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady mid-tempo groove exploration
- intricate musicianship for detail-oriented
- vibrant sound for uplifting moments
- thoughtful reflections during quiet times
Maybe skip if you
- seeking immediate high-energy tracks
- prefer standalone singles over flow
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released on January 1, 2017, 'Exposure' marks Esperanza Spalding's fourth studio album, following her Grammy Award-winning project 'Emily's D+Evolution'. At this point in her career, she was known for pushing musical boundaries and experimenting with genre-fluid compositions, further establishing her reputation as a prominent figure in contemporary jazz and beyond.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Robert Glasper· Hiatus Kaiyote· Snarky Puppy
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Heaven In Pennies
The transition in the chorus where the mood shifts dramatically reflects a deep emotional conflict within the narrative.
This shift not only emphasizes the tension in the lyrics but also mirrors the complexity of human emotions that the song seeks to convey.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Swimming Toward The Black Dot 4:52
- 2 Public Trance It 4:34
- 3 Heaven In Pennies 6:18
- 4 Colonial Fire 3:57
- 5 Coming To Life 4:10
- 6 Geriment 2:20
- 7 I Am Telling You 4:37
- 8 The Ways You Got The Love 5:19
- 9 I Do 2:44
- 10 Double Jointed Crayon 4:14
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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