With Sade absent from radar for quite some time, she piqued my interest with her debut single By your side . One listen and I imagined yet another collection of butter like vocals with honey backgrounds. In that department Sade has always delivered that trademark sound by the truck load. I never could count myself a huge Sade fan for a simple reason. Like most R&B of late, the lyrics are just to straight forward and lack depth.

My assumption that years gone by, maybe having an impact on Sade as a writer were somewhat dashed after taking in Lovers Rock. I had no direct evidence to back up my initial feelings and thoughts of a (I was hoping) more mature and advanced songstress. When it comes to music I'm a regular Stephen Hawking, I naturally imagine possibilities, juggle theories and form idea's of what might be.

This of course causes me more problems than it solves. Lovers Rock sounds like heroin but it's effects are more like crack, the initial high is great. However things wear off fast and soon you find yourself wondering where that feeling went. By your side, while enjoyable is a typical song of being there for someone, it's not sugary pop, yet it's never deep enough for any discovery upon subsequent listens.

King of sorrow, Somebody already broke my heart, and All about our love could almost be mistaken for the same song. With the same classic drum machine sound and bass line of every modern R&B song, I see no need for a fade. I would have just blended them all into one big song DJ style. While I'm at it, throw Slave song into that mix as well. While Slave song is admirable as something to raise awareness, it never seems to stir any emotion.

However Sade and company are not without skill, there are bright moments on Lovers Rock however brief they may be. Every word is immediately enjoyable, from the simple opening guitar work, to the airy sweeping sounds. Beautiful and subtle cello work accompanied by soft reggae/French style background vocals make Every word a sheer joy. Every word is arguably the anchor store of the aisle shops that make up Lovers Rock.

The title of second consciously aware song would go to Immigrant. Telling the story of a man in a new land, struggling to make a life. Once more, the reserved use of simple strings help display the sadness and pain of the story being told. Unlike Slave song, Immigrant is somewhat moving and displays just enough uniqueness to break away ever so slightly from the rest of Lovers Rock. In the end, there is simply too much similarity between songs and no display of smart writing on Sade's part. This ultimately keeps Lovers Rock far from the highest rating possible.

Even though it might appear that there is little to like here, that is not really the case. The only reason that Lovers Rock scores three stars and not two is the sound. The entire album is pleasing to the ears and sounds wonderful if a magnifying glass is never taken to it. Sadly there was never anything to clear the palate, although Every word comes close. Obviously everyone has their own unique taste in music, and Sade has a built in audience for her latest work. For the folks out there that listen to their local "quiet storm" radio station with that Barry White voice style host, this is your holy grail.

Lovers Rock is everything you love about those soft and dreamy stations, and I can't imagine anything that hails from Lovers Rock, ever leaving the play list in my lifetime. Anyone looking for a de-clawed Jill Scott or simply some R&B/Soul on sleeping pills, lay your sleeping bag next to this rock.






Recommended: No

Great Music to Play While: Going to Sleep