It's an approach she takes to yet another boldly creative level with 2021's Songwrights Apothecary Lab. Others, like "Formwela 7," are dark theatrical works featuring Spalding's half-sung/half-spoken word lyrics against a crashing cacophony of horns, all of which evokes the work of the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
NotesEsperanza Spalding's new album SONGWRIGHTS APOTHECARY LAB explores how songwriters may incorporate knowledge in consultation with practitioners of music therapy, neuroscience, and more to create music that can have a specific effect on the listener. These 12 new songs were created and recorded with different musicians in her traveling lab over the past several months and follow her GRAMMY Award-winning album from 2019, 12 Little Spells. 2 LP includes 1 bonus track "Formwela 12".