Stevie Wonder – A Time To Love

Artist: Stevie Wonder

Title: A Time To Love

Label: Motown

Rating: 7/10

FILE UNDER: Finally, a new Stevie Wonder album.

CORPORATE LINE: Stevie Wonder’s highly anticipated new album, A Time To Love, arrives as a wake-up call to the restorative powers of love, and, according to Stevie, the timing couldn’t be better. “My thing has never been about creating music on some sort of schedule,” says Stevie. “When creating music you have to live life – be inspired by life – to create experiences that are worth sharing with the world. A Time To Love is saying that there is a need, now, more than ever, to bring love back into the forefront.”

New songs including the first single, “So What The Fuss,” “From The Bottom Of My Heart,” and the aptly titled “Positivity,” have Wonder enthusiasts already pegging the new disc as another leap in the singer/songwriter’s incredible musical canon. “I’m asked all the time to talk about my work, but I don’t ever compare one song against another,” says Wonder.

THE GREAT:
“If Your Love Cannot Be Moved” f/Kim Burrell – Burrell lends her enormous voice to Stevie’s unmatchable timbre. This is Stevie Wonder at his best as he takes a song that would be merely mortal to anyone else and makes it great.
“Tell Your Heart I Love You” – Wonder pulls it together and makes one of the finest tracks on the record. Stevie puts together catchy verses and chorus.
“Moon Blue” – Stevie not only knocks the track out of the park but his ad-libs are absolutely amazing. His voice has never sounded so delicious.
“Positivity” – Stevie will bring sunshine to any rainy day.

THE AVERAGE:
“Shelter From The Rain” – This is a wonderful addition—the proceeds went to hurricane relief. The song is big on heart but small on substance.
“From The Bottom Of My Heart” – The title had so much promise that the song never seems to live up to it.
“Sweetest Somebody I Know” – This doesn’t do anything more than take up space.
“Passionate Raindrops and “My Love Is On Fire” – Both are missed opportunities. They are classic examples of filler.

THE BAD:
Nothing.

FRANKLY: It’s taken Stevie Wonder a long time, roughly a decade, to give us something new. A Time To Love doesn’t try to be everything that is hot today. Stevie Wonder has always been best when he is doing what is right for Stevie. This album does that well. Unfortunately there are some songs that would have been better left behind.

+ Rae Gun