In the 1980s, Sade's brand of elegant pop/R&B owned the charts, making the Nigerian/British chanteuse one of those artists whose very name became the adjective to describe their sound. After an eight-year layoff, Sade and her core band (and long-time producer Mike Pela), are back with an album that is both a stunning reaffirmation of her artistry and a solid soulful collection. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about Lover's Rock is that it picks up where Sade left off, meaning that you will hear no cool beats or hot hired hands or hip-hop cameos. This is Sade music: on the first single, "By Your Side", she glides back into the spotlight on gentle, country-ish and sparse wings, singing, once again, about love's power to redeem. Of course Sade also knows that love can stink: listen to the dub riddim-tinged "Every Word" and cry tears of recognition. Decidedly female but utterly universal, grown up yet not hardened, Lover's Rock ranks as one of the best of the year, and the return of a true original.