The Rainbow Children

The artist who first blurred lines between sexy and innocent, male and female, slavery and freedom is once again the topic of heated conversation. Prince's long-awaited controversial new album is now available.

Longtime followers of the artist once again known as Prince won't be surprised by the spiritual content of his erratic yet exhilarating new CD. After all, Prince has been straddling the gulf between the sacred and the profane for most of his career. Yet the almost nakedly religious tone of The Rainbow Children is compelling. Witness (and that's the operative word) the airy closing track "Last December," in which Prince and a choir proclaim "In the name of the Father and the name of the Son / We need 2 come together, come 2gether as one." The release is palpable, and throughout much of this CD, Prince, motivated by this love of the spirit, sounds as good as he has in years. From the gentle waltz "She Loves Me 4 Me" to the laid-back jazzy vibe of "Mellow," redemption is laced underneath the grooves. Even when Prince veers way off into left field (as he does with the cartoonish narrative throughout the CD), he makes a joyful and funky noise. --Amy Linden