After 10-year hiatus, Sade is back and her new ‘Soldier of Love’ album is a solid effort.
Sade has not released an album in a decade. But that didn’t deter the sold-out crowd from gathering Thursday at Room 43, 1041 E. 43rd St., for a listening party to get a peek at the singer’s new album, Soldier of Love.
Guests consumed appetizers and cocktails as the band, Bronzeville Knights, performed instrumental selections from Sade’s five previous albums.
A hush fell over the crowd as Bronzeville Nights creator Dedry Jones – and host of the listening party – announced that the album would be played in its entirety.
The venue’s walls were covered with images of Sade, the sultry Nigerian singer’s who real name is Helen Folasade Adu. In the photos, her face belies its 51 years, she’s bedecked in a bangled necklace and sporting her trademark hoop earrings and slicked-back ponytail. A floor length screen projected rare concert footage and a 21-minute movie detailing Soldier of Love’s recording process.
The album opens with The Moon and the Sky, where Sade’s smoky yet sure vocals couple with a guitar and won’t let an ex off the hook for ending the relationship. It’s haunting as she sings the chorus, "You’ll always know the reason why/We could have had the moon and the sky."
The album reveals that the mysterious Sade and her band – they have been together for 27 years – aren’t afraid to try new things. They take a crack at country strumming on “Be That Easy.” They incorporated military drum cadences in the title track.
And the reggae-tinged “BabyFather adds a mid-tempo flavor to the album, as Sade is assisted by her daughter, Ila, on backup.
“Soldier of Love” is a solid effort. Sade’s husky delivery is still intact, and the writing shows growth – even a breakthrough. The band’s use of strings – including the violin and cello – expand the album’s narrative.
The long hiatus between albums seems to keep fans craving, and the album gave listeners at the party a musical fix.
Sade is known for singing about love lost and found, and she’s darn good at it. With this recording, she writes about love, but puts it in its proper perspective. Being accountable for loving yourself seems to be a running theme throughout the album.
Soldier of Love was released Tuesday.
Keisha Price is a Chicago Defender Contributing Writer
Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender
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