After a 10-year hiatus, the queen of sorrow returns with an album to listen to while burning all those pictures of one's former flame. The lengthy layoff has done nothing but turn Sade into a sombre diva, as love results in heartache on practically every track. Put another way, you likely won't hear any of the tracks from Soldier of Love used as anybody's wedding song, like her previous hit, “By Your Side.”
Sade's voice remains in pristine form on this effort — she seems to have been sipping the elixir of youth. Her backing band, the one that moonlights as Sweetback on occasion, is also mostly on point, matching the downer lyrics with a combination of shimmering trip hop beats and spaghetti western sparseness. The only problem is Soldier of Love lags a little in the catchiness department when compared to Lovers Rock, her previous effort. It's still a very worthwhile listen, however, even if Sade is in desperate need of a hug.
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