Another solid album from one of the most consistent dudes in the game. Anthony Hamilton is one of those artists that you can put on shuffle and listen to all of his tracks together. He is consistently down to earth, real, soulful, gritty, and clearly talented. He is a relatively young artist with an old style. It says something when a legend like Al Green taps you for his new release and features you on more than one track. This album is no different form Hamilton's previous works in that he brings the same soulful style of singing with instrumental tracks that you can feel. One of the things I love the most about Anthony Hamilton is that he isn't just stuck on making love songs. Nope, he sings passionately about food, his beloved South, family, pain, and stressful times just as he does about love. The best part, you can feel the upbeat songs just as much as the downbeat in terms of raw emotion. Another strength of his is that his style is so consistent. On his track "Cool" I was worried when I saw it featured David Banner, who seems to change his style and message from minute to minute. This track is hard though. I still think they could have done without the Banner verse, but they still keep it tight. "Diamond in the Ruff" is a stylistic slow jam, while "I Did it For Sho" has a more upbeat feel to it, and "Soul's on Fire" brings you back to old school jams with it's soulful vocals and jammin beat. The whole cd is hot and should be listened to. Or throw it in the mix with the other albums as it blends seamlessly. This on is up there with "Soulife" and "Comin From Where I'm From". While I love "Southern Comfort" I recognize that others didn't feel it the same way I did, so this new album should be a pleasant surprise. Again, this album is very mature and is grown folks music, not the party R&B that's dominating the airwaves. "Don't bring your kidz!"
8.5/10
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