Aside from one of the most erratic recording schedules in pop history, Sade has spent her career being known and revered for her indisputably original sound. Imitators have come and gone, and countless artists site her as an influence (as controversial as it sounds, she is as important and unique to R&B as the Beatles were to rock), but in the end there is only one Sade, with a voice as warm as an island breeze and grooves as fluid as an ocean's tide. And thankfully, a seven-year hiatus after 1993's "Love Deluxe" hasn't dulled those sensibilities, either: the comeback record "Lovers Rock" proves itself exceedingly worthy of a place in her musical legacy.

Make no mistake; Sade is no more conscious of musical trends than she ever was. She still favors sparse but insistent rhythms, still sings with a deceptively simple seduction, and is still backed up by the same musicians (keyboardist Andrew Hale, guitarist Stuart Matthewman, and bassist Paul Denman). These elements make the first track (and single), "By Your Side," instantly familiar, for all its melodic understatement and flowing beats. A sort of cross between 60's rock and soul, the song is classic Sade all the way. But be prepared to raise an eyebrow elsewhere on the record; "Flow" offers a surprising taste of hip-hop folk, while "King of Sorrow" pairs up traditional Spanish influences with a warm wah-wah guitar. The smooth, destined-for-radio "Somebody Already Broke My Heart" adds a dose of modern soul, while "Every Word" even finds Ms. Adu dabbling in a dose of rock.

Another important aspect of trying new ideas is knowing when to let them end, and impressively, the reggae pop of "All About Our Love" and the swinging lullaby of "The Sweetest Gift" both clock in under three minutes and still sound like perfectly complete ideas. The production on "Slave Song" is another triumph, as the surreal percussion and keyboard effects are the perfect compliment to a lyric that tells a narrative most of us can barely even imagine; the end result is appropriately haunting. Another effective moment comes on the socially-conscious "Immigrant," which once again proves that less is more: giving examples of the humiliation a man of color endures in the face of prejudice, a simple line like "to even the toughest among us/that would be too much" sums things up so clearly and eloquently, the lyric gets its point with all the force of an expletive-laden rap song.

But the album's most irresistible moment, however, is more familiar but no less impressive: the sensual samba of the title track supports a sparse, lushly-chorded keyboard line and intricate guitar highlights, all topped off with Sade's unique poetry ("I am in the wilderness/you are in the music in the man's car next to me") and a distorted spoken section thrown in for good measure. The track represents everything a Sade fan looks for in one of her songs. Then again, for all its musical uniqueness, gentle experimentation and stylistic maturity, "Lovers Rock" represents everything a Sade fan looks for in one of her albums. She's still a smooth operator indeed.

For every emotion and mood there is a song goddess. For the broken hearted street sista "catchin hell" there's Mary J. Blige, for the jazzed out romantic, there's Anita Baker, for the outspoken, take-no-mess diva, there's Aretha Franklin, for the conscious groove there's Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, and of course for the rainy nights of isolated individuals or on and off again lovers just the same, there's always been Sade. And she is back.

Lover's Rock picks up where Love Deluxe left off, with Sade's melting, haunting vocals over smooth, beautiful tracks that ignite passion, pain, and everything in between. "By Your Side" opens this passage into the soul and with each song, it cuts deeper and deeper. This is classic Sade but it's also Sade's who has grown lyrically and musically. She delivers the gospel of the heart. The moodiness of the mind. And the mysteries of the spirit all in one. Creating an endless experience. An album that'll be played as much as you played Love Deluxe and Love is Stronger Than Pride.

No one brings the passion to music like Sade. She's like the remedy to your loneliness, the counselor to your difficult relationship, and the sermon to your dreams.

Rock on.

I was hesitant to buy this cd because of some negative reviews I'd seen, but I am so glad I went ahead and purchased it. This is a more mature Sade, both emotionally and musically. The music is spare, it lets her voice and emotion come through unfettered, and Sade has a lot to say. She is happy, she knows that life sends it's own problems, but she has her lover's rock, and that is enough. Sade has gone through a lot of changes in her life, but she has found a place to rest from the storms. This is the first Sade cd I actually sat through and didn't get bored with her voice or what she has to say. This is not a work for those used to the Mya's, Monica's or Brandy's of the world, but for those who have come through teen angst to the other side, to adulthood, and adult love and all that it brings. Love how she has matured and taken us with her.

Its been a long time, long time coming. It was worth the wait. Her first single "By Your Side" is a great cut. Pop the CD in and listen to tracks like "Somebody Already Broke my Heart", "Flow" "All About Our Love" and heck the WHOLE CD is nice!!!!!! What a mellow and romantic CD. She takes me to a place thats been missing in the music industry, my soul. Her lyrics are always unforgettable and she keeps the consistency. Welcome back Sade!!!

I have to say I was never one of Sade's biggest fans.Okay like millions I did buy and enjoy Diamond Life,but after a while I found her songs to be a bit bland and always sounding the same.Maybe it's because she hasn't done anything for 8 years and even though the overall sound is similar to what she has done previously-I can't help but I like this c.d.

The start helps enormously.From the first laidback,mellow chords of "By Your Side"-this c.d. has grabbed my attention.It's just a beautiful late night tune-and it's just so catchy-you find yourself humming this as you drift off to sleep.The pace and mood of the c.d. hardly changes at all-party music it ain't!It's totally designed for a late night chill out time.Apart from the songs of romantic optimism there are also songs of great hurt and sadness in the romance stakes that is.Song 3 "King Of Sorrow" and the amazing song 8 "Every Word",illustrate this.In fact the latter with it's Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar riff at the start and it's feint Euro vocoder vocals it's my favourite song on the c.d.Song 4 another about "a broken heart" has the heavy bass and drums of Massive Attack-an excellent song.Then the more optimistic and upbeat song 5 "All About Our Love" is also really magnificent with a killer catchy chorus.So we're 5 songs in and the high standards of excellence have been maintained all along.

The next song "Slave Song" shows a welcome change of lyrical content and it's an issue Sade touches on in song 9 "Immigrant" also.Unfortunately while these may have the best lyrics on the album,I just didn't think the actual tunes were as good.The reggae riff on "Slave Song' is also a nice change,but I do think it's one of the few weak songs on the c.d.

The Sweetest Gift is such a simple,short and very uplifting song.It's the shortest on the c.d. but the sentiment comes across so well,when all it needs is Sade's excellent voice and one acoustic guitar.The title songs has a guitar and rhythm to it which is very reminiscent of Finlay Quaye.It's not one of her better songs though.Finally the closing track is just so hauntingly beautiful with an organ and a piano that would be so suited to a smokey late night bar.It finishes off this album superbly.

So after Sade is back and it's a really superb return to form for her.I'm not surprised this c.d. has done so well chart wise.I would totally recommend this c.d. to all.