Sensuality flows through the music of Sade like water follows the moon. Since her first hit-single, the smooth operator has given us the sweetest taboos and aural paradise with her records. Considered by many to be the musical equivalent of erotica, no matter what the song is about, her luscious lyrics and sultry delivery make every composition a song for lovers.
Ten years after the epic Lovers Rock, Sade has finally returned to break the tension left by her absence. No ordinary record, Soldier of Love gives us everything we love about Sade and more. Soldier of Love may be short, at only about 42 minutes, but is just as satisfying as Love Deluxe or Promise. In each of the ten songs, the woman gives us more than thrills, she gives us sexual healing.
Soldier of Love is molded quite differently than any album out there and Sade works this to her advantage in every second of the soulful-jazz album. The album’s premiere single, “Soldier of Love,” puts Sade back in control. Not short of thrusting rhythms, “Soldier of Love” pumps deep into your years. Because the song was released first, it was just a taste – a tease. But now after all the anticipation has built up, the rest of the masterpiece can finally be touched on.
Album opener, “The Moon and the Sky,” caresses the listener softly with its dimly lit production and seductive vocals. Sade embodies the erotic energies around her, making the music drip through your senses, slowly. On the other side of the disc, the closing track, “The Safest Place,” creates an atmospheric paradise.
As most know, it’s not the beginning or the end that’s the best part, but what goes on in between. Sade peels to the core in “Skin,” titillating the ear with its pulsating bass line. “Babyfather,” a feel-good cut that shows the artist at her most laid-back, has the singer going into the acoustic groove. And “Bring Me Home” shows the endurance the singer possesses from within to a hypnotic beat.
Sade travels along her musical journey with, “Long Hard Road,” a track with a rough, dusty feel to it and a lyrical theme to match. “In Another Time,” with its almost lullaby-esque feel, it’s one of the singer’s more gentle moments. “Morning Bird” shows the sensitivity of the songwriter. Perhaps the darkest of the disc, the haunting ballad tingles along a piano-driven melody.
At the end of Soldier of Love, there isn’t a drop of love lost. Sade has given us another record to last us another decade, though, of course, you cannot help but crave more. It’s been 25 years since Sade’s debut album Diamond Life, and since then the diva and her band have given the world not only the best lovemaking soundtrack, but some of the most thought-provoking lyrics. For those wondering if the soldier Sade could come back strong, be assured, she still seduces like no one can. Soldier of Love is a stimulating production that not only arouses the senses and pleases the ears, but touches the heart.
Sade
Soldier of Love
(Sony Music)
*****/*****
1. The Moon and the Sky
2. Soldier of Love
3. Morning Bird
4. Babyfather
5. Long Hard Road
6. Be That Easy
7. Bring Me Home
8. In Another Time
9. Skin
10. The Safest Place
