[Reaper16]

22. D’Angelo (and the Vanguard) – Black Messiah


What I really like about D’Angelo’s new album – his first since 2000’s Voodoo a whopping 14 years ago -- is that it is so different from his earlier work, which never really landed with me. This album is rooted in old-school jazz funk. It’s not especially innovative; Prince has explored similar territory in recent albums that no one gave nearly as much internet attention to as this one. But aside from a few tracks, I really appreciate the level of craft here. Don’t listen to this on laptop speakers; it’s a disservice to yourself and to the album. Listen to this with good headphones on. There’s so many little sonic details that add creativity and richness to otherwise straightforward funkers like “1000 Deaths” or “Sugah Daddy.” The intricacies you find around the margins of the beat on “Really Love” and “Betray My Heart” give those songs so much more emotional power. The closing track and album standout “Another Life” is the uplifting gospel-jazz number that somehow feels like a minorly-hopeful way to close the books on the pain of 2014 and move towards a new year with renewed purpose. This is the album of the moment for a lot of people and for once I get it.