Let’s be blunt here. Madonna has been desperately seeking a comeback following her misspent years on Interscope, which produced three inferior albums in seven years. Beginning with the embarrassing “MDNA” and concluding with the daring “Madame X.”
Returning to the Warner fold, the label family that operated Sire during her early years, and then released her output through 2008, Madonna has released her most accomplished album in years with “Confessions II” (Warner). Sonically pleasing, lyrically revealing, and self-referential, it’s a necessary return to form.
In the seven years between studio albums (Madonna’s longest gap), other artists, both long established (Kylie Minogue) and next generation (Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Robyn, and Jessie Ware), overtook Madonna’s reign. With “Confessions II,” the pride of Bay City, Michigan, reclaims the mantle. Not an act of desperation to remain relevant, as much as it is a reminder of her ability to establish trends.
Available in multiple formats, including double LP translucent pink vinyl, as well as CD, Madonna and co-producer Stuart Price (who also produced most of 2005’s less exhilarating “Confessions on a Dancefloor”), get things started by inviting us into the musical confessional of “I Feel So Free,” which subtly nods to Giorgio Moroder. “Good For the Soul” gallops along with a “Ray of Light” shimmer and “One Step Away” intends to make dancing a religious experience.
Wisely teaming up with Sabrina Carpenter on “Bring Your Love,” Madonna has finally found a duet partner worthy of her vintage vibe. Speaking of vintage, the name-dropping “Danceteria” (not to be confused with the new Soft Cell song of the same name) not only recalls “Vogue,” but also Blondie’s “Rapture” and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” It’s as much a tribute to the legendary venue as it is to Madonna herself. “Everything” borders on mind-blowing, and Madonna brings house music home on “Love Sensation,” and then literally pays tribute to the genre (and others) on “Love Without Words.”
Madonna gets serious as the album reaches its conclusion. “Fragile,” “My Sins Are My Savior,” and “Betrayal” fit the confession theme like kid gloves. On “The Test,” a duet with her daughter Lourdes (aka Lola Leon), Madonna displays unexpected vulnerability. Gorgeous album closer “L.E.S. Girl” brings “Confessions II” to an end on an emotional high note.
