Voodoo

1	Playa Playa 7:06
2	Devil's Pie / Raekwon 5:21
3	Left & Right / Method Man 4:46
4	The Line 5:16
5	Send It On 5:56
6	Chicken Grease 4:38
7	One Mo'gin 6:13
8	The Root 6:33
9	Spanish Joint 5:44
10	Feel Like Makin' Love 6:22
11	Greatdayndamornin'/Booty 7:35
12	Untitled (How Does It Feel) 7:10
13	Africa 6:13

Barnes & Noble

Five years after BROWN SUGAR signaled a break from urban radio's R&B by-the-numbers, Michael D'Angelo Archer returns with another dose of deep soul and musical VOODOO. Like its predecessor, VOODOO is confident, not cocksure; seductive without being lascivious; musicianly, not merely production-savvy. Unlike many neo-soul artists, D'Angelo does not draw his primary inspiration from hip-hop. Instead, the Virginia native's lean production aesthetic and overall soul vibe are informed more by his obvious admiration of '70s innovators (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes) and the modern soul of Prince. D'Angelo pays tribute with a sultry remake of the Roberta Flack hit "Feel Like Makin' Luv" and with the seductive pauses and behind-the-beat phrasing that are as essential to his sound as his avoidance of samples. Working with a live band, D'Angelo kicks it with musicians who understand the flexibility of the groove, assembling such heavyweights as jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, who cowrote "Spanish Joint," and Roots drummer ?uestlove. D'Angelo imitates no one, however: VOODOO is a statement of maturity and responsibility (the blues-drenched "Send It On" is a message to his son); of mischief ("Playa Playa" and "Left & Right," with Method Man and Redman); of keeping it straight ("Great Day in the Morning"); and, finally, on the hot single "Untitled," of keeping it true, which D'Angelo very definitely does. Marie Elsie St. Léger

All Music Guide

Five years after his Brown Sugar album helped launch contemporary R&B, D'Angelo finally returned with his sophomore effort, Voodoo. His soulful voice is just as sweet as it was on Brown Sugar, though D'Angelo stretches out with a varied cast of collaborators, including trumpeter Roy Hargrove and guitarist Charlie Hunter, fellow neo-soul stars Lauryn Hill and Raphael Saadiq, and hip-hop heads like DJ Premier, Method Man & Redman, and Q-Tip. It must have been difficult to match his debut (and the frequent delays prove it was on his mind), but Voodoo is just as rewarding a soul album as D'Angelo's first. John Bush