Point of It All

Not simply a crooner with a great voice, Anthony Hamilton is also a multi-talented songwriter, arranger, and producer in the tradition of visionary, self-directed artists like Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, and Curtis Mayfield. THE POINT OF IT ALL is the North Carolina native's fourth proper full-length and it finds Hamilton comfortably ensconced in the same blend of organic instrumental textures, preprogrammed drum loops, and warm `70s soul signifiers that served him so well on 2005's AIN'T NOBODY WORRYIN'. The album's lead single, "Cool," is propelled by a deep bass-drum thump, supplemented by bright guitar arpeggios, an understated Fender Rhodes riff, and layer after layer of Hamilton's skillfully interwoven vocal tracks. The cumulative effect brings to mind the adventurous studio tinkering of late-period Marvin Gaye and the warm, neo-soul aesthetic pioneered by the likes of Atlanta's Organized Noize. All told, THE POINT OF IT ALL stands as another solid offering from one of contemporary R&B's most reliable craftsmen.