Sophisticated, cool and classic, Sade is back after eight years, and it seems as though she never left.

This time around, the Nigerian/ British chanteuse takes her audience on a soothing and romantic journey to paradise with her sultry yet tranquil voice and her tender but evocative lyrics.

With a hint of jazz, a touch of reggae and a taste of Lena Horne style soul, “Lovers Rock” is a CD that is made for lovers and the only thing missing is the distant sound of ocean waves crashing against some exotic tropical shore.

Sade, along with her core band members from the ’80s, which includes guitarist/sax player Stuart Matthewman, Andrew Hale, Paul Spencer Denman and longtime producer Mike Pela, have proven that it?s a good idea to ?stick with it? when you know you have a good thing going.

Despite the onslaught of the trendy fast-paced, hip-hop and rap, Sade and her talented band have returned with a distinct and timeless CD that stands in a genre all its own, while ranking as one of the finest albums of the year.

The first single “By Your Side,” which has already been remixed and has become a hit with DJs across the globe, is a tender tribute to everlasting devotion with a slow and easy beat, while the second single “Flow” is whispery and cool with a funky flavor.

The next track, my least favorite “King Of Sorrow,” is dark and heavy with emotion, which also seems to carry through with more of the same for the next single, “Somebody Already Broke My Heart.”

The rhythmic pulse of the deep bass changes to upbeat in the enchanting tune “All About Our Love,” (this one reminds me of an old tune by Leon Russell, “Back to the Island”).

The bass pulsates in and out around the lyrics, “Teach my beloved children who have been enslaved to reach for the light continually,” in “Slave Song,” while “The Sweetest Gift,” is simple but a gift of Sade?s pure voice over the faint sound of an acoustic guitar.

“I have you to sing to, you are the lovers rock, the rock that I cling to,” is Sade?s romantic serenade in “Lovers Rock,” the CD?s title track and my personal favorite.

It has been said that Sade only makes music when she has something to say and it is clear that the artist has something worth singing about in this CD.

It was 1992 when she last captivated us with her global hit, “No Ordinary Love,” but she is definitely back and like a breath of fresh air. This is no ordinary album. Intimate, sexy, romantic and soothing, it is the kind of music that accompanies a coastal drive on a lucent spring day.