D'Angelo actually dropped his first release in 14 years in 2014, a musical surprise just before Christmas, but that left us no time to review it before the holidays, so it's our first review for 2015 instead. And having spent the summer break getting into his generous R&B grooves, we can happily announce it's a winner - had we heard it before our "Best of 2014" list came out, it would've been on there.
Thoroughly modern, yet drawing on the history of funk greats, he's spiced Black Messiah up with a smattering of political angles, and come up with 12 tracks that are spirited in a quiet way, burning with a deep, late-night ambience. It's fiery rather than angry, and though his liner notes make it clear that he thinks the world has plenty to rise up against, the production of the album balances that with a laid-back nonchalance.
There are songs filled with space and air, while others weave together intricately fuzzy layers of many different sounds. It's a revolution in modern R&B, warm, thick, and gloriously groovy, without sounding too polished or too ponderous - like records of old, pre-digital. Perfectly imperfect.
While there's plenty of aural golden syrup, and an overwhelming hazy-soul vibe, Black Messiah generally steers away from being overtly seductive - it's more concerned with social commentary, and bringing the funk, than it is with the often-tread R&B themes of love and sex.
The record's ultimate social consciousness may have been somewhat overstated - in the wake of 2014's tragic combustion of racism in America, several of D'Angelo's songs seem to have a more potent message than perhaps he originally started with when first writing the lyrics months or years back, but that may simply show his foresight.
