Sade 'Soldier Of Love' Los Angeles Listening Session

Tonight's Sade 'Soldier of Love' listening event, brought out local press, radio, retail and key tastemakers in the L.A. area, me included.

Upon arrival at the super swanky Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, I was greeted by a very generous staff. They took care of every need, whether it was filling your wine glass, offering up hors d'oeuvres or any directions to get around the hotel - it was service with a smile, all the way.

The actual listening session took place on the 9th floor of the hotel over looking Beverly and the Hollywood Hills. With a large flat panel TV, square center in the room playing Sade's 'Soldier of Love' video and with a posh couch/lounge area, I then met up with some Sony people attending the event. It work out well as we had the couch that was dead center with the AV system. We weren't about to miss a beat of one of the most anticipated records of 2010.

They first played the sizzle reel, a promo video piece showing Sade's complete body of work throughout her entire career. It's staggering to think of Sade's longevity in the business.

Then a short reel with the 'Soldier of Love' single used as the music bed for the TV show 'Lost'. I'm not too crazy about art meeting commerce, but this TV/Music marriage works well, or was it the wine kicking in?

I've posted up both Sade NYC listening session reports from Vibe and Showing Out on the site, but this was the first one out West.

And no, Sade was not at the event, but we wish she would've been there.

Keep in mind, there were at least 150 invited guest in the room talking through out the event while the music was playing. Although we heard the music well, at times our ears had to concentrate a little more than usual.

So on with the show...my track by track critique.

The Moon and The Sky

A great way to start off the record. A smooth track with an augmented nylon string & slide guitar present throughout. Sade's signature vocals are in there right off the bat.

Soldier of Love

They skipped this one in the sequence of the album, as they had already played the video for the track.

Morning Bird

What's noticeable about this track is the piano and the arrangement of the music, gentle yet haunting. Sade creates the wholeness that is the icing on the cake. Rich and creamy, this track is.

Babyfather

The groove on this track is irresistible. It almost feels that it has a reggae beat to it, but without sounding too reggae. The song is upbeat.

Long Hard Road

This track harkens back to the Sade from the 80's, but updated to today's sound. Jazzy flavor, with a beat that is subdued enough where Sade can bend and stir her vocal showcasing around.

Be That Easy

Where 'Long Hard Road' had a somber feel to it, 'Be That Easy' has an optimistic edge to it. In this part of the album, Sade starts to stretch out and become more free with her vocals, doing nice harmonies while keeping the melody in place. The guitars are sharp and the bass bobs along to the beat.

Bring Me Home

A beat loop is present on this track as it sets the tempo for the song, somewhat hot and acid like. This one got steady head nods from the group. The guitar and bass were stretched out, right in the pocket.

In Another Time

This for me is one of the more distinct tracks on the album. It closely resembles a Stax/Hi-Records Memphis sound without the horns. The shuffle was deep in place. Sade inter plays with the laid back sax & guitar grooves as the song winds up and down.

Skin

As we know, Sade's music embodies hope, fear, pain and longing for true heart felt love. At this point in the album, the lyrics come to a head. As the title suggests, Sade is in her most vulnerable state. Tender yet evoking.

The Safest Place

The last track is the most simplest in form and presentation. An acoustic guitar, an isolated beat and cello strings. Sade beckons that the heart is really the most safest place to be.


To recap, Sade's 'Soldier of Love' measures up to all expectations. It wouldn't fair to pick one song as the best. 'Soldier of Love' needs to be heard front to back, like a good album should be heard.

I would also like to say, hearing the record in its entirety before the public is not necessarily fair to you the readers.These advance listening sessions can be deceiving, as we can get hyped out too quickly, too fast. But rest assured, on February 9th you can safely buy Sade's 'Soldier of Love' and be confident of the choice you've made. It's that good of a record and definitely worth the wait.

Sade 'Soldier Of Love' Album Preview

Sade - 'Soldier Of Love' on Epic Records arrives February 9.

courtesy of Showing Out

The Moon and The Sky

The album kicks off with a thick, syrupy groove, playing almost like a classic mid-’90s R&B jam as theremin quivers and rich drum hits glide along. “You always know the reason why this love / We couldn’t have the moon and the sky / You always know the reason why / Reason why this love ain’t gon’ let,” Sade sings on the chorus before the song snaps into a breakdown where the rhythm flows into double-time speed. Classic Sade, and a lovely way to kick off the album.

Soldier of Love

The eponymous lead single, “Soldier of Love” fits snugly in context with the rest of the album here, spread out over a bold six minutes. With its militaristic snares and electrified guitar flares, the track sees the group stretching their sound across an epic sonic landscape, moving from quiet moments of Western solace to inspirational bursts of ebullience. Lush and bountiful, “Soldier of Love” is everything and more that the world has come to expect from the band.

Morning Bird

After the drums die out and order is reestablished, “Morning Bird” begins with its gentle strings and haunting piano melody, with the strings disappearing and leaving the keys on their lonesome. That is, of course, until a kick drum and tambourine whir into rhythm. “How could you?” Sade moans on the chorus. “You are the river / Out of this life / How could you? / You are the morning bird who sang me into life / Fly away.” Soon, she kicks her vocal melody up an octave, but it doesn’t last long - the song wraps up quicker than most on Soldier of Love.

Babyfather

Arguably one of the best songs on the album, “Babyfather” is much sunnier and optimistic than its companions. With spindly guitars, chalky hip-hop drums and layers of bright vocals, the song coasts on a sandy electric guitar melody that leads into a warm, fleshy chorus. “Your daddy knows you’re a fling,” Sade repeats before a chorus of Jamaican-inflected vox echo her words. Simply luscious.

Long Hard Road

The band adds a little shade to the mix on the dusky “Long Hard Road,” with ominous acoustic guitar strums setting off this deliberate tune. “There’s a long hard road ahead / But the voices heard me said / Said there’s something more that you need to know / It’s gonna be alright,” Sade sings over swelling strings, complete with an epic, voluptuous chorus accented by delicate strings. The minor arpeggios plucked on the guitar add a nice tone to the tune.

Be That Easy

Sade brightens the mood once more on the country-inflected “Be That Easy,” with slide guitars, crisp acoustic guitar and a soft, feathery ride cymbal coalescing as dual vocal lines float over the instrumental confection. “Full of it / Sun on my face, wind in my hair / Falling down / Flying as low as I can / I’m not trying to reach land,” she sings after the song peaks with a musical epiphany.

Bring Me Home

The group slips into an acid house drum rhythm on “Bring Me Home” where mournful undertones give way to a bolder full-bodied jam. “So bring me home,” Sade sings as voices spookily howl in succession. “So let the tide take me / I won’t fight / I’ve cried the tears,” she adds before a bridge of hollow, barren instrumentation takes over. Heavy stuff.

In Another Time

This one played like more of a coaxed groove, adopting conventions of ’50s pop and vaguely resembling a prom ballad. As hollow rim shots and a silky chord progression carry the tune, Sade’s seductive vocals complement the billowing, pulsating groove, accented by a juicy saxophone that echoes the triage of vocal lines that top the mix. “You’re so tired of waiting / For something to change / They don’t know what to do / With something so good / You wouldn’t hurt them / Hurt them if you could,” Sade howls as her voice meets the saxophone in an explosion of sound.

Skin

This sensual, corporeal groove lives up to its name, playing as the lounge-friendliest of the bunch. “Now as I begin to wash you off my skin / I want to peel you away / ‘Cause you’re not right within,” Sade sings, scorning a rejected lover. “I love you so / Sometimes love has to let go,” she adds, sounding unsurprisingly vulnerable for a song where she’s literally shedding her skin.

The Safest Place

The album ends with the drum-less “The Safest Place,” kicking off with feedback that gives way to soft acoustic guitar plucks and swelling strings. “In your heart / Your heart has found / The safest hiding place,” she sings. “My heart has been a lonely warrior,” she adds as a cello creeps into the underbrush of the track. “Inside is a stream / Around is a wall / No one from hell could break / In there will shine / Heaven’s light,” she finally crows in her hushed alto, ending the album on a subtle yet powerful note.

Sade 'Soldier Of Love' NYC Listening Session Album Preview

via Vibe

Few recording artists in the time of continuing shrinking record distribution, digital music downloads, and a never-ending recession, would receive the posh red carpet rollout exhibited last night (Monday, Dec. 14) at New York's historic Lincoln Center. But not every artist has the immense mystique and event-like cache of Sade, an act who has meticulously stayed away from the proverbial spotlight since her neo jazz-based 1984 debut Diamond Life.

At an exclusive listening party for the Nigerian-born British singer-songwriter's sixth studio release Soldier of Love (due Feb. 8), the atmosphere was as elegant as the 50-year old singer herself. Pink roses, pear bellinis, and a mammoth window overlooking a postcard-worthy view of Manhattan's bustling Columbus Circle proved to be a savvy backdrop. But you get the sense that the diverse range of individuals who made it out to hear Sade's first new studio album in nearly a decade (who else could get the likes of golden age hip hop producer DJ Marley Marl, legendary radio personality Tom Joyner and the New York Times' respected veteran music critic Jon Pareles in the same room together?) would have gladly listened to the album at a greasy hamburger joint in Queens.

Musically, the 10-track Soldier of Love doesn't stray too far from the classic Sade sound. Mournful lyrics that dive into the emotional cost of lost love as well as hope-driven introspection fuels much of the album's dramatic tone. And that voice? It's still there: haunting, calming, gorgeous all at once.

Still, nothing could have prepared those in attendance for a rare sighting of the reclusive Sade, who following the session, appeared with members of her backing band that have been with her since the beginning of her career. Dressed in an all black silk outfit, with her trademark crimson red lipstick and pulled-back hair, Sade was greeted enthusiastically by the usually jaded music industry tastemakers who stood in line just to take a picture with the singer who seemingly ages every twenty years.

Highlights on Soldier of Love include:

"The Moon and The Sky"
A seductive Latin groove accented by Spanish guitars is paced by an assertive rim shot. "Why didn't you come get me one last time...we could have had the moon and the sky," Sade sings. Intensely sexy.

"Soldier of Love"
The official first single and album title track has been a curve pitch for longtime Sade fans. The harder edged Portishead-style production and winking western-standoff feel of the track (complete with rumbling military snares) takes a minute to get used to. But its relentless groove and Sade's sincere vocal performance makes it more than believable.

"Babyfather"
Sade at her most whimsical. "For you, he's the best he can be...daddy loves you," she says on the reggae-tinged track.

"Bring Me Home"
One of the tracks that will surely get play from club DJ's who worship at the alter of early '90s, digging-in-the-crates hip hop. With it's thumping bassline, this standout cut is easily the fastest paced song on Soldier of Love. There's ominous talk of tears. But this dramatic line says it all: "I've cried for the lives I've lost..." Wow.

"Skin"
Ranks among Sade's most heavy vocal and lyrical performances of all-time. A Fender Rhodes keyboard can be heard. So can the pain of a romance gone terribly wrong. "I wish I could wash you off my skin." There's no room for ambiguity here.

"The Safest Place"
Sade finds comfort in another's arms. Lush harmonies. Hope closes out the album.

Sade 'Soldier of Love'