How to define soul? This magical, overused word regains its nobility with "Voodoo," the second album by the prodigy D'Angelo, who first gained attention in 1995 with the very groovy "Brown Sugar," an irresistible ballad that earned him his first accolades. Here, D'Angelo proves he's in a different league, far from the formulaic R&B of his peers. One thinks of Curtis Mayfield, of Prince; one gets lost in "Send It On," one vibrates with "Left & Right" (featuring Redman and Method Man). A magical, dark, and sometimes difficult-to-access album that immediately established itself as essential upon its release.