Rainbow Children

Very interesting. Available now from Amazon.com (probably will be in stores soon, though I don't have a date yet). Prince goes very jazzy for this one and it just plain works. Probably his most musically interesting stuff since Crucial (Miles Davis collaboration era). It opens up with the smooth jazz groove of the title track and maintains the style and incredibly tasty phrasing throughout. In light of the fact that he is now a Jehovah's Witness, it is not surprising how much this album focuses on spirituality. However, it is not wildly different in tone from the consistent spiritual ideals that have existed in his work since the beginning (especially in the Lovesexy era).

Prince doesn't preach, he simply expresses his thoughts on spirituality in the context of great music. Again, this is nothing new with him, there is simply an absence of the aggressive sexuality that was omnipresent before. The album is clearly intended to be a work of empowerment for the black community, speaking of the importance of knowing where you're from and being a part of your community (especially on the smoking "Family Name"). The only two disappointments with this are the absence of "When Will We Be Paid" and the presence of "Wedding Feast". If you like Prince, you'll like this. If you like good jazz, you'll like this. Plain and simple.