#395 D’Angelo and the Vanguard, 'Black Messiah' (2014)

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I did not expect this to be as good as it was. After a 14-year hiatus, D’Angelo gave us the follow up to his breakthrough record, ‘Voodoo’ (basically his life unravelled and it took him a long time to get it together). D’Angelo himself covers most of the instruments, but it does feature appearances from Questlove and Pino Pallandino (as mentioned on the John Mayer review, he is one of the most prolific and recorded bassists of all time). 

The album is a socially conscious work, with music in the vein of Prince, which is exactly what he was going for. It’s a cohesive record managing to stay interesting and fresh throughout. If I had to pick one highlight (but please don’t make me), I’d have to say ‘Sugah Daddy.’ The record clocks in at almost 1 hour. I didn’t get bored, I got lost. And I didn’t mind.

#rs500albums