Black Messiah sounds like it was made in the 1960s or 1970s during a funk/soul era dominated by the likes of Sly And The Family Stone. In that regard, D’Angelo is an outstanding talent. The retro soundscape he conjures via Voodoo magic, a virtual soundtrack for black people who consider race significant enough to get emotional about, is mighty convincing. From what my ears can detect, nearly every instrument is played live.
His talents plummet, however, when it comes to the composition of the songs themselves. The vocals, well-harmonized, too often lack melodies to match their gritty grooves. 1000 Deaths, the intro speech of which combines two of people’s biggest stupidities; racism and religion; captivates during the chorus, but the rest of the song is, well, dead. The rest of the album is better, but nothing compares to the best of the era it emulates.
my rating : 3 of 5
2014
