Do Badu

○○○○●

ORIGINALLY supposed to be released in 2009, then February this year, neo soul legend Erykah Badu's sixth album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), finally arrives on Monday.
You can see why the album, the follow up to her 2008 release New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), took it's time - in comparison to her politicised outing last time round, it's so laid back it's horizontal.
That's not to say Badu doesn't put in the effort, with vocal virtuosity demonstrated over laid back funky soul grooves, which hint at hip hop and jazz with swaths of live instrumentation, such as the harp work on Incense.
Exploring themes of romance on the album, with a return to the acoustic vibe of her breakthrough Baduism listeners of New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) will remember why she captured so many hearts all those years ago.