Prince has always done things his own unique way, from the adoption of an unpronounceable stage name, to the creative control he exercises over his music. His flamboyant aesthetic, on and off the stage, is carried over into his recordings, and his newest album LotusFlow3r is no different.
From the first listen, it's apparent LotusFlow3r is a fun, laid-back album. It's fairly lighthearted, full of quirky effects and solid jams. It's been studio polished to a highly stylistic sheen, and although parts of the album are plagued with a deadly smooth jazz feel, the superb instrumentation and genre-hopping keeps it from becoming boring.
One standout track is Feel Good
Feel Better Feel Wonderful featuring a funky James Brown beat interspersed with hand claps and a punchy horn section. Also memorable is Dreamer
a hard driven, straight-up rock 'n' roll song where Prince summons Jimi Hendrix in a soaring, psychedelic guitar solo.
But LotusFlow3r goes beyond just funk rock. The closing track ...Back 2 the Lotus seems to draw from Miles Davis' experimental jazz sound on Bitches Brew, and the last few minutes of 77 Beverly Park would fit perfectly on a Sounds of Italy compilation. Prince develops a cool funk-punk beat on Wall of Berlin
and The Morning After
is reminiscent of '60s organ-driven pop.
Yet Prince's distinct falsetto can be grating on some tracks, and the vocal effects are beyond tired, especially after their recent popularity and overuse in T-Pain's robotic radio hits. However, Prince's voice does add to the ethereal atmosphere of the album, and it just
goes to further his artistic trademark.
At times, the album suffers from some rather cheesy pop songwriting. With lines like I don't want to kiss your lips until I get to (oomph) your hips
it's difficult to take very seriously. However, Dreamer contains some interesting, racially charged commentary, and Colonized Mind
although somewhat vague, attempts to tackle the lack of choice in the two party system and other shortcomings of
society.
In typical Prince gimmick fashion, LotusFlow3r is packaged with two other albums, MPLSound and Elixir by his protégé Bria Valente. From a listening of the title CD, LotusFlow3r may be worth the $12 price tag for those who can appreciate a mature album from an aging rock star.
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Culture
Aaron Krumheuer
