Prince & 3rdEyeGirl, "PlectrumElectrum"

“ART OFFICIAL AGE” and “PLECTRUMELECTRUM”

Warner Bros. Records

Never let it be said that Prince doesn’t retain the capacity to both dazzle and baffle. Through 36 years in the spotlight as one of the most influential artists of his generation, the man born Prince Rogers Nelson still pushes like he’s gunning for fresh fame and acclaim.

With each effort, a consistent flow of art since his 1978 debut, “For You,” the 56-year-old seems intent not just on challenging his muse but also on silencing the critics, feeding his public and reminding his musical offspring that he’s still here, that he’s still Prince and that when he commits his sharpened mind and dexterous digits, he can mess you up, make you shake your head in disbelief.

Further evidence of his derring-do permeates his two new and distinctively varied albums, “Art Official Age” and “PlectrumElectrum.” Releasing simultaneously, the dueling records are a homecoming with a label, Warner Bros. Records, that ferried Prince to worldwide fame but that he later implied owned him as a slave. Combined, the albums reveal a muse blissfully free of constraints.

At their best, songs suggest an explorer freshly refueled by the Mothership and eager to roam. Tracks burst with aural delight while honoring their creator’s noble weirdness — at one point during his rant against cloud computing, “Clouds,” Prince zips 45 years into the future after a period of suspended animation — and sense of humor. For example, this “Tic Tac Toe” refrain: “Like a bunch of blind people playing tic tac toe/ Who knows where the zeros and the Xs go?”

But the records also reveal his flaws: Prince errs on the side of bounty, is blind to the occasional clunker and still fancies himself a talent scout when he has his pick of could-be collaborators.

The full-lengths are at odds thematically and sonically: “Art Official Age” flows with synthetic beats, fake hand claps, futuristic bleeps, chipmunk-style vocals, rap, modernist R&B and a brand of digital seduction that Prince does better than anyone. The other, “PlectrumElectrum,” rocks hard and with great distortion, and it seems a kind of negation of “Art Official Age.” Though the rock record has its moments and is ferociously played, its songs are relatively flat. If you’re looking for a freaky good time, “Art Official” is your ticket.

— Randall Roberts,

Los Angeles Times