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Customer Reviews of Promise

Sophomore effort fulfills "Promise" of Sade's debut
Less than a year after she burst onto the scene with the stylish calypso hit "Smooth Operator" and its bestselling album "Diamond Life," Sade struck while the iron was hot and treated her fans to the fasest turnaround time for a new album that she ever would. As it turned out, it was a further treat to hear the Nigerian-born chantuese and her sultry backup band fine-tune the soulful jazz/pop that showed so much promise on the group's debut release, quickly silencing cynics who thought "Smooth Operator" was a novelty fluke.

The set opens with the torchy "Is it a Crime," and as soon as the slow swing tempo gets underway backed by a killer horn section, it's clear that is every bit the adult affair. Singing the opening line "this may come/this may come as some surprise/but I miss you," Sade evokes a quiet poignancy not unlike Billie Holiday's, but by the second bridge throttles the melody for a full-force belt, making the tune one of peaks and valleys that enthrall the listener for each of the song's six minutes. The seductive Bossa Nova of "The Sweetest Taboo" follows, and Sade's lyrics of adoration flow breezily over the tropical-flavored rhythms; other than the initial shock that something so jazz-tinged could make it on pop radio, the song's hooks make it really no surprise that this cut was such a commercial hit.

The album's other single, the midtempo "Never as Good as the First Time," is agreeable enough, but "Promise" also hosts a wealth of quality non-hits: "You're Not the Man" is a gorgeous, slowly unfolding pop song set to a sultry cabaret arrangement; the bass swoops and dives, the saxophone dives in and out of the equation, and the rhythm is minimal up to the second chorus - and with Sade's lovelorn performance of a lyric addressing a lover that went back on every promise he ever made, this is definitely one of Sade's most underrated treasures. Another gem is the bouncy "Maureen," a sunny ode to a childhood friend with a richly-chorded piano front and center. "Mr. Wrong" is a swift jazz affair with a lush scat framing the beginning and end, and "War of the Hearts," for all its innovative chord changes, rhythmic backdrop and lush self-harmonies, shows a band and singer perfectly suited to each other and their music.

Sade even offers up a folky narrative on the melancholy "Jezebel," and lets her musicians have their day on the supperclub instrumental "Punch Drunk." The Spanish-sounding "Fear" may be a little hard to take; the arty track about a lady and her bullfighter boasts some drop-dead gorgeous instrumentation but is probably best-suited to the most devout Sade fans. Only the midtempo "Tar Baby" is less than a revelation, coming off a little less distinctive than the tracks around it but still providing an enjoyable enough listen. All in all the record provides a portrait of an artist who avoided the dreaded Sophomore Slump by a country mile, building on a sound and continuing down a path that was distinctly her own. Any fan of jazz, R&B, or intelligent pop can hold "Promise" close to their hearts.

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A "Promise" Fulfilled.
Listening to a Sade album is like wearing an Armani suit: it's stylish and impeccably tailored, but it won't look foolish in six months. In other words, the band's music is elegant yet able to survive passing trends and fads. Their second release, "Promise," may be the best. Fusing jazz and pop with a dash of r&b, "Promise" is the personal journey of a broken heart and a bruised soul. It bleeds with emotion, and it captivates the listener through its refined and understated grace. Sade Adu won't go down as a singer with tremendous range, but she sure uses the best of what she's got. We can both hear and feel Sade's longing in the excellent opener "Is it a Crime," in which Ms. Adu can't seem to shake the man who once loved her. She also runs the gamut of emotions from affection ("The Sweetest Taboo") to longing ("Maureen") and pain ("War of the Hearts"). But the track that makes me stop EVERYTHING is the have-your-Kleenex-ready breakup number "You're Not the Man." With the assistance of Stuart Matthewman's pained saxophone, Sade wakes up and realizes that she no longer can connect with the man she loved for so long. I think this may be my favorite Sade song ever. "Promise" is simply a work of class done to near-perfection. In fact, Sade is one of the reasons why I can't warm up to jazz pop upstarts like Norah Jones. The latter singer is an able, but unexceptional, singer whose material suffers from milquetoast production and too many contrivances. But Sade gives you the real deal, straight from the gut. "Promise" still has the juice after all these years and it comes highly recommended. It's one of the best records money can buy.

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WIDER THAN, TALLER THAN.
PROMISE IS. IT JUST BE.THE MOST..I MEAN.. HMMMMM.......AN ALBUM SO SO DOWN RIGHT GOOD. A JEWEL THAT COVERS MANY THEMES ON LOVE AND EXPERIENCES IN LIFE. YOU REFLECT ON THIS PIECE OF WORK FROM THE BAND.COHESIVE AND BEAUTIFUL.RAW AND UNGARDED.A definite jazzr&bpopfeel here.strong vocal delivery with musicianship that has chops.last word.BADASS.