VoodooE

The Artist

D'Angelo, born Michael Archer in Richmond, Virginia, grew up the son of a Pentecostal minister and learned his craft on church keyboards. His 1995 debut Brown Sugar made him a central figure in what critics came to call neo-soul. His sound blends gospel fervor with the sensuality of Marvin Gaye, Al Green and Prince, filtered through a hip-hop sense of rhythm. Voodoo is his second album, arriving five years after his debut. It would be his last for well over a decade, until Black Messiah in 2014.

The Album

Voodoo took shape over several years of loose, extended jam sessions at Electric Lady Studios in New York. The core band included Questlove on drums, Pino Palladino on bass, James Poyser on keys and Roy Hargrove on horns. D'Angelo produced most of it himself, with DJ Premier handling "Devil's Pie." The players chased a deliberately unquantized, behind-the-beat feel inspired by J Dilla, capturing grooves live rather than programming them. Released in January 2000, it debuted at No. 1 and won the Grammy for Best R&B Album. Its songs circle desire, temptation, spirituality and family.

Listen For

The lazy pocket. On "Playa Playa," notice how the drums seem to lag just behind the beat. That dragging, almost drunken feel defines the whole record.

A choir of one. On "The Line," D'Angelo stacks his own voice into dense, murmured harmonies. Listen for how the lead often sinks into the backing vocals rather than floating above them.

Latin heat. "Spanish Joint" brings in a Latin jazz and Afrobeat energy that stands apart from the slow-burn tracks around it. Pay attention to how the band loosens up and speeds the groove.

Purple homage. "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" is an open tribute to Prince's falsetto ballads. Follow the slow build toward the raw, cracking climax near the end.

Temptation and greed. "Devil's Pie" takes a darker view of materialism and the hunger for more. Its gritty, boom-bap production gives that critique an ominous edge.