After a 9 year hiatus, Sade, the illustrious one-name neo-soul Jazzsinger, on February 9, 2010 released her new CD, Soldier of Love. WhileSade has said that she wants to ever try something different, this newCD is really last in manner and subject to her prior release, Lover`s Rock.
Themajority of songs on Soldier of Love continue to eke out all the painfrom Sade`s main themes, which are frequently about love found with sorrow,and love lost with yet greater sorrow.
Even though it may be more ofthe same, for those of us who love Sade, that`s fine. Her fans haveheaped overwhelming praise on Soldier of Love and it is perched firmlyat the top of Billboard`s Euro Charts.
It`s been about 10 yearssince her last CD release, Lover`s Rock, and another ten years beforethat when she released Love deLuxe. It could only be a type of us beingso excited at finally getting some new music from this star whom welove, that we`re all over the new CD without question.
Sade isonce again accompanied by her perennial sidemen, Stuart Matthewman onguitar, sax and programming, the keyboardist Andrew Hale and the bassistPaul S. Denman. A lot of her good friends helped out with duo andbackground work.
So what`s the verdict? It`s good. It`s real good.The incidental music produced by Matthewman, et al, though pareddown, is dense with bass guitar and drums. As a topic of fact, fans arecalling the hit single, Soldier of Love, primarily a beat and basssong. But with their foreboding insistence, the drums and bass make awonderful cushion for Sade`s aggressive call to war for lovers.
MorningBird with it`s piano adagio is the most haunting song on the CD andcontinues Sade`s affair with pain, chains, and passion. The highpiercing cries of the melody reinforce the title, Morning Bird. LongHard Road suggests that no matter how long the road, everything will bealright. The sad and fairly slow loping music suggest otherwise.
BeThat Easy, could be an homage to Nora Jones with it`s easy countrywaltz flavor. Babyfather, with it`s slight island flavor is the mosthopeful and forward looking, as Sade sings about a father`s protectivelove for his new baby girl and the chorus echoes words about thefierceness of this love.
Skin and The Safest Place close out theCD. Skin sees the singer washing off the dust of another love gonewrong while The Safest Place reprises the report of jazz being a war.Sade and her band have scored another definite hit. If you love asomewhat dark outlook and much of bone and bass, and you love Sade, youwill love this new release, Soldier of Love.
No comments:
Post a Comment