One Step Forward

After guest appearances on Guru and Talib Kweli, as well as the Red Hot + Riot collection, Les Nubians finally return with the follow-up to 1998€s Princesses Nubiennes, the most popular French language album stateside in more than a decade. One Step Forward has the same Sade-meets-Zap Mama soul groove vibe that sisters H©l¨ne and C©lia Faussart are known for, but the duo adds a few new wrinkles to the mix this time around. There€s a distinct reggae influence to songs "El Son Raggae" and "Brothers & Sisters," which features Morgan Heritage. Even though their voices are as sassy and sexy as ever, they sing a bit more in English, but French language gems "Amour A Mort" and "J€Veux D€la Musique," two of the album€s strongest tracks, need little translation. For the most part though, One Step Forward is more self assured and richly textured, nicely refining a winning formula that will no doubt enchant the many fans of its predecessor. --Tad Hendrickson