Trailed in some quarters as “Prince’s hen party album”, HitNRun initially struggles to live up to that promise. The tempting morsel of Let’s Go Crazy, which precedes clunky opener Million $ Show, adds insult to the injury of a largely mediocre first six tracks. Just as the jury threaten to return an “off with his head” verdict on producer Joshua Welton, Prince redeems himself with three absolute belters – the deliciously gritty X’s Face; an authentically slinky update of Imagination-influenced fan fave 1000 X’s & O’s; and the instant classic June: “Pasta simmers on the stove in June – makes no sense yet, but it will soon”.
