Sade appears poised to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with Solider Of Love, the group’s first album since 2000’s Lovers Rock. Yes, Sade is, in fact, a band led by singer Sade Adu; if you weren’t aware of this distinction, I was right there with you, as the attention has always been on Adu.

While a decade’s delay is buzz enough to fuel album sales (the release of Solider Of Love was also smartly timed near Valentine’s Day), the title track and first single has many folks snapping to attention and taking notice. Or me, anyway.

Years ago, I did a tour of duty as an intern for a smooth-jazz radio station and though Sade was far more palatable than the rest of the dreck on the playlist, I’m still somewhat scarred by the entire experience. “Solider Of Love,” however, is a strong departure from that earlier, snoozier style. Military-style chants and drumming are punctuated by machine gun-like guitar, all to match the lyrical thematic. Sade marches right into trip-hop territory (think Portishead), and I find the change, even if it’s just the one song, completely captivating. Hear here:

And if you caught Sade’s performance on Letterman last week, Dave had a similar reaction to “Solider Of Love,” forgetting which Craig’s Late Late Show now follows his (it’s Ferguson, five years in the slot, not Kilborn).

Purchase Sade – “Solider Of Love” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.