He made some of the most essential albums of the 1970s – Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs In The Key of Life, to name just three. But Stevie Wonder’s output has been frustratingly uneven over the past two decades and few would disagree that he hasn’t made a decent record since 1980s Hotter Than July. But this, his first album in 10 years, sees the soul legend revisit the sounds, textures and more importantly, the songwriting approach of those early years.
As the title suggests, love is the overriding theme here, and affairs of the heart infiltrate the lyrics at every turn. But it’s Wonder’s gift for penning memorable melodies (a talent that appeared to desert him in latter years) that really shines through here.
The opening track, the groove-heavy ‘If Your Love Cannot Be Moved, featuring gospel singer Kim Burrell, is as exuberant and infectious as his Bob Marley inspired hit ‘Master Blaster’, while the punchy brass riff and joyous chorus of ‘Please Don’t Hurt My Baby’ echoes ‘Sir Duke’. ‘From The Bottom Of My Heart’ has a gorgeously uplifting melody, faintly reminiscent of ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ and ‘My Love Is On Fire’ recalls the gorgeous ballad ‘As’ (from Songs In The Key Of Life). Meanwhile, the sultry, syncopated grooves and infectious melody of ‘Sweetest Somebody I Know’ features his trademark harmonica, as does ‘True Love’, which could’ve easily been titled ‘Lately Part II’. Elsewhere, the slow jazz grooves and elongated piano coda on the ballad ‘Moon Blue’ make it a definite highlight worth every second of its six-minutes plus duration.
Saved for the end, the title track is a duet with India.Arie (and featuring Paul McCartney on guitar). A polemical, gospel-like epic, it showcases his once strident social awareness, the subject matter being war, poverty, environmental destruction and racism. Despite the sentiments however, it drags on way too long, clocking in at a radio-unfriendly nine minutes. It does little to spoil what is a near flawless collection of songs that restores Wonder to the heights he once scaled.