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D’Angelo
Nobody would ever accuse D’Angelo of going anywhere in a hurry. Believe me, Brown Sugar owes nothing to the Rolling Stones except the shared title, and while the Stones’ song invoked images of sexual enslavement, D’Angelo’s version is purely consensual. The title is song is slow and blistering, and it establishes the pace for the entire album. Each song moves at the speed of slow sex, which makes it fairly impressive accompaniment for same. Out of the bedroom, though, this collection can get pretty tedious.
Brown Sugar is less a collection of songs than an assemblage of sexy, slow jams with hypnotic, heavy grooves. Each track sits in its own pocket and stays there; chord changes and melody are minimal. In their place is a seductive vibe that holds steady while D’Angelo styles in a free-form falsetto that is more than a little reminiscent of Marvin Gaye. The production is slick and full of space without distracting from the libido-driven topicality of each song. "Jonz in My Bonz," "Smooth" and "Higher" all convey the full content of their message in the title. Dropped in the middle of this collection is a good cover version of Smokey Robinson’s "Cruisin’," which although good, doesn’t offer much to justify the remake. All things being equal, I’d just as soon hear Smokey sing it, but thanks anyway. Brown Sugar works like an aphrodisiac if you’re with somebody and the lights are already down low, but if you’re alone, it works more like Sominex.
Grade: 
 
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