In 2010, when funk legend Prince began work on what would become Welcome 2 America, there was no particular gravity to the proposition. The staggeringly prolific artist had released two albums only the year before. He then followed up with his 35th full-length, 20Ten, ultimately shelving the Welcome 2 America tapes. Perhaps the idea of a pointedly political Prince album held little excitement at the time. Obama was in; and Prince had already explored socially conscious themes as far back as 1987’s Sign o’ the Times.

In the polarized America of 2021, Prince’s perspective is more needed than ever. Finally unearthed, the lost Welcome 2 America album is a clear-eyed rebuke of the nation’s checkered history. It’s the first full album of unreleased Prince material to be released posthumously. His almost subtle, matter-of-fact passion drives the songs and nettles convincingly, forcing us to sit with uncomfortable truths. The voice of the artist, canonized, brooks no argument. When he speaks, we had better listen.

Welcome 2 America is a fairly lean record by Prince’s standards. The 12 cuts sustain a pulsing energy, with little filler and no boring slow jams. Even the subtle tracks are imbued with plenty of blood and grit. Songs like “Born 2 Die” and “Same Page, Different Book” roll along on danceable funk intricacies and 1970s touchstones. The title track is sparse and menacing, with flashes of Father’s Children and Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues.” Spoken-word vocals, spacey synth and contrived lessons lend the vintage vibe a modern spin, and Prince’s penetrating observations prime an outsider angle.

He channels classic Curtis Mayfield on “Born To Die” and “Running Game (Son Of A Slave Master),” but a stronger parallel may be made to Sly & The Family Stone’s 1971 classic There’s a Riot Goin’ On. On Welcome 2 America, the funky tracks reflect that album’s subdued vigor and somber appraisal of American hypocrisy. Like Riot, Welcome 2 America explores both light and shade through a blue lens.

Yet the record gets into its own thing most of all. Prince laid down the basic guitar tracks live in the studio with bassist Tal Wilkenfeld and drummer Chris Coleman in 2010. As a trio they generated the slinky, humid grooves that seep into every song. From there the recordings were expanded via overdubs and collaborations, with contributions from Morris Hayes, Shelby J., Liv Warfield and Elisa Dease. Prince’s tendency to dabble is kept under control here, and he still covers admirable range. Perceptive interplay enhances languid rhythms and tidy arrangements. As a result of all this, the album sounds cohesive and whole.

The fantastic “When She Comes” represents the best of Welcome 2 America’s occasional mellow sound. Laced with subtlety, the song’s staggered nuances transport listeners to the svelte, non-smoking interiors of Prince’s psychic ensemble work. Prince and his team of professionals conduct a clinic on highbrow lounge funk, and nothing is compromised. Wilkenfeld’s spacious bass opens doors for sensuous guitar licks and titillating piano. The lyrics transcend taboo with a frank sexuality that’s neither shocking nor reserved.

The album lags only briefly on the wistful “Stand Up And B Strong,” a slight, rhyme-happy anthem written by fellow Minneapolitans Soul Asylum. The song features some fine instrumental performances and escalates to an end-credits rave-up. Nevertheless, it’s hard to imagine Prince couldn’t have written something better on his own to express a similar sentiment. Meanwhile, “One Day We Will All B Free” faintly overreaches and preaches, approaching Stevie-Wonder-like jubilation but ending the album on an anti-climax.

Even the most diehard Prince fans will admit that his albums were often uneven. Consider it a consequence of his method. Highly motivated, deeply authentic and immensely talented, it’s clear Prince had more material than he knew what to do with. It’s nearly miraculous that an artist could realize an album as complete as Welcome 2 America five years after his own death. Ironically timely in 2021, Welcome 2 America stands strong thanks to its skeptical eye and the scale of its critique. An impressive epilogue to an iconic artist’s career, it echoes a culturally legitimizing voice in a doubtful society.