Sadé knows heartbreak. But she doesn't make it a pondering matter, nor does she dwell on how it debilitates and drains. She understands that finding the enigma known as Love, is an on-going battle for many - that when Love comes, it comes. Without the will to open your heart to it, one will not survive that battle. Sadé is a Soldier of Love.
After a ten-year hiatus, an artist can fall into that oft-feared pit of irrelevance. Sadé however, has managed to resurface with a sound that is still unmistakably hers. Some crafty intricate production from long-time collaborator Mike Pela, can be heard on this fresh sounding sixth studio effort. Sadé belongs still and she can do it without the assistance of this generation's crop of over-used producers and production teams.
Other than the fancy guitar work, synths and crafty rhythms, the focus is all on vocals, front and center. True, Sadé technically is a group, but for me the term has always evoked an image of its frontwoman. The mood is dark and the theme of betrayal begins right away on opening track The Moon and The Sky, where we learn that her lover should know why it is in his heart why "they couldn't have the moon and the sky". The album's haunting title track, introduced here previously, is defiant and despite "losing the use of her heart", Sadé is still adamant that Love will come. Babyfather is a pleasant surprise with its reggae inflections, acting as a beautiful tribute to a father's love for his child. Interestingly, the song doesn't touch upon her relationship with the Babyfather himself and seems to be more a conversation between Sadé and child (Ila), suggesting some distance with the man who inspired the track (Bob Morgan?).
