Soldier of Love

I almost threw my iPod away and burned all of my radios during the inaugural weeks of 2010. Corinne Bailey Rae abandoned her venture into R&B and turned to that British rock sound that puts me in the mindset of Alanis Morrisette covering Beatles’ hits. I still purchased her album, but it was like craving Shrimp Alfredo from Maggiano’s and being fed ramen noodles. Then Usher released yet another single and announced yet another change in his album release date. You’re playing games, Homie! My ears were depressed. I had to venture into the stacks of underexposed artist to find some real Soul and R&B music. The venture led me to Toni Hill and Alexis Nicole. Ladies, thank you for giving me a reason not to “Van Gogh” myself. People cop their albums. They’re the truth. They held me over until Sade’s “Soldier of Love” dropped.

There aren’t many consistencies in music; however, you can count on taste of Sade’s music to satisfy your ears’ taste buds. The lineup is as follows:

Moon and the Sky – Sade recorded this recent album in the mountains of Spain. If those mountains had a sound, I imagine they’d sound like the guitar, string, and tambourine ensemble of this track. It’s not the happiest of songs, but it’s still hot. It is similar to “Cherish the Day.”

Soldier of Love – This is a hard song. It has that militaristic cadence. “Soldier of Love” is the typical Sade song, nothing extraordinary. It was a good choice for a single because it reminded us of what we’d been missing since 2000.

Morning Bird – The cello in the song is sick, but the song as a whole sounds like the theme of a soap opera. Skip it.

Babyfather – This is the hottest song on the album and will definitely be on the next edition of a Sade’s Greatest Hits album. The music is a nice and sweet mixture that rides along with an endearing tale of babyfather. It’s like that moment in Forrest Gump, when he got on the school bus for the first time and Jenny offered a seat next to her, after everyone else had turned him away…real sweet.

Long Hard Road – This song sounds like the title. Skip it!

Be That Easy – This is a good look for the band. It’s basically a country song, without the twang. I can dig it.

Bring Me Home – The only reason that I listened to this song two consecutive times is because it reminded me of one of my mom’s favorite Sade songs, “Maureen.” I may never listen to it again, though. Skip it.

In Another Time – The song is wonderful. With the light piano, upright bass, and the smooth tenor sax, it’s like jazzy country song. When the strings are tied in, it’s like riding a cloud. Between this and “Be That Easy,” I think that Sade may have the ability to pull off a nice country album.

Skin – Skip it!

The Safest Place – As an independent entity, I could do without this track; however, thematically, I can appreciate the image of a warrior trudging home, after a long battle. If you just have to include it, the last slot on the album is appropriate.