Elixer

After the joy of Lotus Flower and MPLSound it was time for the protégé album featuring Bria Valente but like many protégé music it was mostly about what prince was envisioning.

All this Love kicks off the album with a bubbly sweet pop tune tinged with some jazz vibes. For some reason I am hearing Shanice’s “Smile” when I hear it. Lyrincally it’s like Prince let his naughtier side out for Bria to express, and musically the breakdown at 2:46 is all P with those funky guitar stabs.

Another Boy is a cool laid back track with some classic Prince drum patterns and musical structure. Almost falling into the whole retro vibe of it, it sounds like an off cut from a Janet album (maybe Control) meets an India Arie song. A nice enough track but not earth shattering.

Elixer is the stand out of the track obviously with Prince taking over for the track and Bria adding more a complimentary accompaniment to his vocal – I mean even in her verse you are still hooked into Prince’s classic background structure. And the playful tongue in cheek title isn’t lost on anyone right?

Following Elixer, Everytime just sounds uninspired, a tad play by the numbers track that you know Prince can write in his sleep and the longer this plays the more I think maybe he did.

Here Eye Come has a hint of Underneath the Cream about it, and musically its cool and laid back. Given a brief airing in the tease phase of Lotus Flower, it made me think that maybe a protégé album might just work again. Its a cool track and dripping in overt lust, something that has been missing in his own work.

But continuing the up and down nature of the album Home plays and again it just feels like filler, and run of the mill.

Immersion is maybe what is good and bad about this album. Musically it’s interesting and it’s the music that floats you along the track, but the lyrical delivery is just underwhelming and doesn’t do what the title promises.

Kept Woman sounds like a poor cousin of Money Don’t Matter Tonight and whereas the MDMT hooked me from the start, this track just reminds me too much of what it is not and thus it falls flat.

With Something U Already Know we drift into oft trodden r&b territory and because of that nothing sounds fresh or unexpected or exciting. Even the suggestiveness of the lyrics doesn’t save it. Like most of this album its ok enough, but just not good enough to warrant a repeat listening.

Closing out with 2Nite just reminds you why this album fails. It feels too forced and desperate for a light weight hit – J.Lo anyone?

As an album it won’t get many plays at my place, and save for Elixer and Here Eye Come the tracks won’t find their way into any playlist soon. I can’t help but think if Prince had just put those two track on MPLSound in replace of some of the weaker tracks the whole Lotus Flower project would feel more consistent across the board.

Swa

Was this the order of the tracks?

Was this the order of the tracks?

Everytime sounds like bad Christian Pop and 2Nite sounds like a lesser version of Sheila's Boy's Club

Prince's "All This Love" performance at Montreux proves he should have recorded this album himself.

I have had Lotusflow3r since it came to Target, ordered it online. I still havee NEVER listened to Elixer. and never will.

I have had Lotusflow3r since it came to Target, ordered it online. I still havee NEVER listened to Elixer. and never will.

I actually listen to this cd more than the other 2, I wouldn't say it's my fav, but I do love it. Something U Already Know is my fav song off of Elixer.At first I thought it was boring, but then I gave it another try and really enjoy it now.

I have had Lotusflow3r since it came to Target, ordered it online. I still havee NEVER listened to Elixer. and never will.

Everytime just sounds uninspired, a tad play by the numbers track that you know Prince can write in his sleep and the longer this plays the more I think maybe he did.

Swa said:

My girlfriend, not a huge fan of Prince, loves this song to death.