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It’s hard to fault Soldier Of Love, the new album from Sade, the British R'n'B band, led my the inimitable Sade Adu, except that there doesn’t seem to be very much use for it in the average CD collection. It’s also hard to fault something if, every time you try to listen to it, it just keeps sneaking off and fading away into the background before you can get a grip on it.

It’s been ten years since Sade’s last album (Love Deluxe was also eight years before that). Lovers Rock, which with hit singles like “At Your Side” had a much happier theme than Soldier Of Love carries. But despite the overriding melancholy (or perhaps with help from it) the songs on the new album are unimpeachably excellent.

However, the album offers little variety from this sorrowful sound. The title track and lead single only just manages to differentiate itself from the rest with a wartime drum beat that fits its title, but even this seems unlikely to capture many listeners’ attention. Indeed, it seems that “The Moon And The Sky” and “In Another Time” could be the same song. “Skin” and “Long Hard Road” likewise do the same.

A few good points - “Bring Me Home” has a slightly more enticing beat that melts into Sade’s smooth vocals, while the track “Morning Bird” is beautiful in its stripped-down musical bareness.

Soldier Of Love isn’t bad - it’s polished, it’s stylish and it keeps up the ever-present scent of mystery that seems to surround Sade (since they only seem to pop back onto the scene once every decade). It is, overall, excellent ambient background music. Get it if that’s what you’re looking for.