Georgia Anne Muldrow has emerged over the past few years as a unique talent. The prolific artist has worked as singer/songwriter/producer to combine elements of hip hop, soul, jazz, R&B, gospel, and rock to form a sound that is all her own. After an extremely busy 2010, which saw the release of three albums, she has returned this fall with an album dedicated to her mother.

The parallel that best fits with Owed To Mama Rickie is Erykah Badu’s New Amerykah Part One and New Amerykah Part Two. The first of these two albums was a weird yet intriguing excursion into psychedelic funk that confronted listeners and featured hooks that couldn’t be denied. Many people were quick to dismiss New Amerykah Part Two as a failure because it didn’t have the immediate impact that it’s predecessor had. It’s slower, more subtle, and works better when listened to a whole. Muldrow’s King’s Ballad was one of the strongest albums from last year, with a wide variety of sounds, a high energy level, and hooks that are still stuck in my head. The title track and “Summer Love,” featuring partner Declaime were especially strong singles. Owed To Mama Rickie is much like New Amerykah Part Two, but hopefully Muldrow’s varied track record and devoted fan base will give Owed To Mama Rickie more of a chance, because there is plenty to like. Sure, this album isn’t single driven or make me want to crank up the stereo and dance, but it does have beautiful imagery in the lyrics, incredible harmonies, and sophisticated arrangements that gently shift moods over the course of the album. There is less hip hop influence than in previous efforts, with more focus on jazz and R&B, and gospel. Religion influences themes in her lyrics, with “Mother, Father, God” bringing to mind Marvin Gaye’s sophisticated incorporation of gospel into his own style of R&B. She also inspects family history and how her ancestry fits into the bigger picture on “All in All.” The song that does stand out amongst the rest is “More & More,” a beautiful song with Bilal, which builds like a Gaye/Terrell duet, but never really kicks into the next gear, instead building tension on the promise of a chord progression that seems to be leading somewhere, but instead keeps cycling. It’s the slightest bit frustrating on first listen, but when you know not to expect anything the song is more rewarding. The remix, done by Terry Cole of the Jive Turkeys is even stronger than the original, but I might be saying that because I’m a complete sucker for some gospel-style Hammond Organ. Also, the drums kick in along with the organ turning around the chord progression during the chorus, giving the song a greater payoff.

Owed To Mama Rickie won’t blow you away at first, but Georgia Anne Muldrow is such a strong and multifaceted musician, she’s not about to drop a weak record. Not everything has to be obvious, and she knows that. I’m sure we’ll be discussing this album many years from now.