D’Angelo’S ‘Voodoo’ Worth Lengthy Wait

D’Angelo “Voodoo” (Virgin) ****

Many of us eagerly awaited the follow-up to 20-year-old D’Angelo’s delicious 1995 debut album, certain we were set to witness the “What’s Going On” of ‘96. After a frustrating wait, that hope was quietly adjusted to the “What’s Going On” of ‘97, then ‘98 …

So here we are: five years later, still hungry, finally about to be fed. And although “Voodoo” may not live up to its promise as the great Marvin Gaye record of 2000, it’s certainly worth the wait. The album is intoxicating, sometimes startling, often mesmerizing. Where 1995’s “Brown Sugar” broke barriers in a world of pedestrian R&B, “Voodoo” makes its mark in more subtle ways: laying back, creeping toward transcendence, collapsing back before building again.

If “Brown Sugar” had a weakness, it was rookie songwriting, resulting in tracks near-embryonic in structure. D’Angelo has sharpened his sense of form, seen most notably on rich mid-tempo ballads like “The Root” and “The Line.” But the best thing about his work remains the sound itself. Taut nightclub horns and lithe funk guitars mingle with loping hip-hop beats. Gospel organs noodle underneath. Layered vocals slither through the mix, often in a slinky falsetto. Multiple guests pop up: rappers Redman and Method Man (“Left & Right”), Lauryn Hill (Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love”) and Roots drummer ?uestlove, appearing throughout.

What you won’t hear are the hammy acrobatics that have passed for R&B singing during the last decade. D’Angelo prefers to unveil his vocals rather than wrench them out of his throat, and the payoff is big. It took Al Green at least three albums to figure out that real seduction is found in restraint.

- Brian McCollum

Meshell Ndegeocello “Bitter” (Maverick) ****

Bassist-singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello has always worn her heart on her sleeve. Most times, though, it was political proverbs she was pooh-poohing. Here, though, Ndegeocello (pronounced n-day-gay-o-chell-o) pours her heart out about love, God, loyalty, loss and satisfaction. Basically, “Bitter” is about personal strife.

She’s no wilted flower, no crybaby. There’s determination behind the bitterness. Ndegeocello has never been one to give up. Her lyrics are forceful and, above that, so is the music.

The album was produced by Craig Street (Cassandra Wilson and k.d. lang), and it bears that stamp. Yet with the musicianship Ndegeocello possesses, it’s bulkier than easy listening. Think Joan Armatrading.

Standouts include the jazz-soaked “Faithful,” the serene “Satisfy” and the meditative “Bitter” (with luscious acoustic guitar work by Prince alumnus Wendy Melvoin).

If you’re looking for the funk that was ever present in Ndegeocello’s previous two albums (1996’s “Peace Beyond the Noise” and her debut, 1993’s “Plantation Lullabies”), you’ll be at a loss here. But don’t turn your back on “Bitter.”

- Michelle Solomon

Collin Raye “Counting Sheep” (Sony Wonder) ***

Country crooner Collin Raye is a smart choice for this collection of lullabies and other tunes appropriate for bedtime. It’s the latest disc in Sony Wonder’s series devoted to music parents can enjoy with their kids, and Raye’s gentle tenor, familiar from sweet country ballads such as “Love Me,” is family-friendly on everything from the Beatles-like title track to “When You Wish Upon a Star” to “A Mother and Father’s Prayer” (a duet with Melissa Manchester).

“Counting Sheep” flirts with sentimentality (“Too Ra Loo Ta Loo Ral”), but mostly steers clear of the saccharine stuff. Better yet, it avoids the political correctness that often plagues entertainment for kids these days. In stores Tuesday.

- Greg Crawford

Shannon Curfman “Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions” (Arista)***

Shannon Curfman’s mom won’t allow her to date for two more years, which may give her the right to sing the blues. But this 14-year-old singer-guitarist from Minneapolis obviously isn’t asking for permission. Like Jonny Lang, her 18-year-old mentor, she’s got her licks down and has taken them on the road.

Like Lang, Curfman is still the sum of her influences. “Love Me Like That” is the Allmans fronted by Bonnie Raitt, while her homage “Playing with Fire” channels everyone from Robert Johnson to Jimi Hendrix.

Still, there’s no denying the fire and energy in the blues-drenched rock of “True Friends,” which you’d swear was sung by someone with actual dating experience and plenty of it, or the simple sincerity she brings to a tune as familiar as The Band’s “The Weight.” Come to think of it, those guys were on the road when they were the same age as Curfman.

- Terry Lawson