Prince
HitnRun – Phase One & Phase Two
(NPG Records)

Combining this big release of the latest Prince stuff, HitnRun, Phase 1 & Phase 2, there is lots to cover from this full, bukkake-like output from the Purple One. The fun, horn-bleating, poppy “2 Y 2 D” has Prince mocking lots of stuff (including American Idol), and the heavy backing vocals of his girl group 3RDEYEGIRL singing with him on the society comment, yet singable “Baltimore” (singular guitar lines intertwine with strings over the top of the beat here). There’s the Chicago-sounding whack-a-whack fun of “Big City” (Prince does love his horns this time around, that’s for sure), the rapping “Like a Mack” (featuring Curly Fryz), and the synth-led and synth bass changes in the machine “Mr. Nelson” (featuring Lianne La Havas) that really has mainly Mr. Nelson’s guitar making a statement more than him singing. There is a lot to chew on here. Songs like “Fallinlove2nite,” where Prince use that weird, high warble, little-kid voice. The tight keys/drum snap in a quick groove, the watery keys, schunk-beat verse move into a bass-snapping, heavy chorus and guitar-wailing, sexy “Hardrocklover.” From the bopping, straight-ahead, driving, going-no-place-save-the-lead “Screwdriver,” to the slow ballad of echoing keys, Prince’s falsetto and his distinctive over-driven guitar leading “Revelation” spotlight Prince, and therefore for a fan like me, I like them better. All around the best tune here, combining all elements, great percussion, big horn groove, moving guitar rhythm funk, Prince singing about a girl he desires, popping bass and synth, all with a big commercial chorus of layered voices, is “Xtraloveable.” There really is lots to groove to here across these two albums, so you best get your hands on this horn-laden, modern, funky stuff from Prince.