Southern Comfort

A man who feels the music with his soul

As it is well known, soul ache and emotionality are the basic components of good R&B. No feelings – no songs. And Anthony Hamilton understands it perfectly or to be more precise feels it with his entire suffering and loving soul. If one will try to divide R&B performers into, so to say, true and not-true than Hamilton will definitely be in the first group. His new album is a solid argument of his deep understanding and devotion to Soul and R&B music. The thing is that there are no new Anthony's songs on Southern Comfort, the entire material was recorded before his famous debut album Comin' From Where I'm From was released. Actually this is his second album that could be issued in 2002. There are not so many artists who have the courage to release their first records, lay the cards on the table and show everyone who they've been before they became famous. But Anthony Hamilton has nothing to hide, as Southern Comfort is a reflection of his true love to music, hopes for the future and those feelings he was experiencing at the dawn of his career.               

The songs from Southern Comfort could be Anthony Hamilton's first hits

If you think that Anthony Hamilton was formerly singing worse than you are making a sad mistake. Performing skills don't come at once, of course, but the way he works on Southern Comfort makes you think that he was ready for a big scene long time ago. Simply listen to Don't Say What You Won't Do where his voice remains all alone in the very end of this sad and slow ballad. In fact, balladry-lyric side of the album is done really good, for some reason Anthony's voice and emotions are exposed in the best way in these leisurely tracks and it actually doesn't matter much if it is a typical love song like Better Love or a really sad and emotional Please. This composition, by the way, could be his first hit, the song absorbs your attention for a long time even regardless its poor production work. The status of album's hit number two can be doubtlessly given to Glad U Called. This is one the most lively and life-asserting songs of the album, it stands out against the background of sometimes funky, sometimes bluesy arrangements of the rest of the songs as there is a feel of rock influence in it.           

Southern Comfort sounds integral and self-sufficient

Southern Comfort is a characteristic Anthony Hamilton record. You won't hear something completely different here. And this is quite logical as this album hides the roots of his future success. Of course, the album is inferior to Comin' From Where I'm From. It is good, but just not that good. The album mostly suffers from not sufficiently good production. The sound mixing, arrangements simply can't measure up to Anthony's potential, this spoils the general impression. In other respects it is hard to cavil to the record, it is possible, but for some reason you see no necessary point in doing so, the songs are too sincere to criticize. Southern Comfort sounds integral and self-sufficient. The album simply proves Anthony Hamilton's talent; even his old songs that turned out to be "unworthy" of a timely release sound competitive against numerous contemporary R&B albums. Southern Comfort is an album for Anthony Hamilton's old fans. This is a good music to listen to, especially when you compare "old" and today's Anthony, but if you'd like to make the acquaintance to this performer it will be better to take his well-known releases.