Prince Art Official Age [Review][Amazon][iTunes][Google Play]
Following what for him was an uncharacteristic fallow period, Prince stormed back into consciousness with a devastating one-two punch with a solo album and project with his band 3RDEYEGIRL, of which this was the best. An album recorded with just Joshua Welton, Art Official Age found him back at the top of his game. The slyly winking Black album-esque funk of “Gold Standard,” the emotional sucker punch of “Breakdown” and the thrillingly fragile “Way Back Home,” all pointed to a man with plenty to say and perfectly crafted ways to frame those ideas. That someone 35 years into their career should produce this vital a piece is mind blowing. But then we’re used to Prince blowing our minds, aren’t we? -- Paisley Sparks
