(February 25, 2008)--On her fourth studio album, "New Amerykah: Part One (4th World War)," Dallas native Erykah Badu moves even further away from the neo-soul conventions she helped usher in more than a decade ago.
Instead of re-treading the simple melodies and succinct pop song structures from her 1997 debut "Baduizm," she's mined an increasingly looser approach with each subsequent release.
"Mama's Gun" (2000) ends with a 10-minute suite, and "Worldwide Underground" (2003) is a moody, 50-minute EP full of rambling grooves and hazy lyrics.
More than ever though, Badu challenges fans to keep up with her creative impulses.
Those who do will be richly rewarded for their effort.
The CD is more daring than the album's current single, "Honey."
Hidden as the disc's closing bonus track, it's almost an anomaly given the preceding material.
Dark, mesmerizing head-nodders largely produced by hip-hop eccentrics Madlib and Shafiq Husayn and Taz Arnold of Sa-Ra Creative Partners dominate "New Amerykah."
Over the horn-accented "Me," a strikingly honest Badu reflects on past relationships with her baby-daddies, Andre 3000 and the D.O.C.:
"Had two babies, different dudes/ and thought for both my love was true ... hey, that's me."
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