The reintroduction of the smooth operator. 8 years from their last album back in 1992, Love Deluxe, Sade finally released the follow up Lovers Rock. During this long hiatus, Sade Adu's longtime bandmates went on to record with Maxwell on his first album, she had her first child, and was just staying out of the spotlight. The album takes its name from the British sub-genre of reggae that tends to lean on the sweeter side with classic soul songs reinterpreted and originals that remain a staple to this day. The album, more conceptual than their previous, is much more sparse and often is telling tales from both sides of the heart. Though the album references reggae throughout, it does not rely solely on the style and is very much a Sade record. Originally released in 2000, the album only saw one vinyl pressing on release and it took another 10 years to get a reissue. The fine folks of Music On Vinyl have meticulously reissued the album with original artwork on heavyweight 180g vinyl for clean playback. This is a no brainer, it's Sade for eff's sake!

• black vinyl pressing
• includes printed insert
• original release year: 2000
• music label: Epic 2024

reviewed by Rock Lover 02/2016