Anthony Hamilton - Soulife

Masterful soul vocalist Anthony Hamilton has been compared to greats including Stevie Wonder, Bobby Womack, and Bill Withers. Following notoriety derived as D'Angelo's back-up singer and lead vocals on the Grammy-nominated Nappy Roots track "Po'Folks," Hamilton landed deservedly in the spotlight. His signature sound, fusing timeless '70s soul with current R&B sensibilities, shines on the stellar Soulife. Album Description

 A voice full of soul and warmth; Hamilton is a talent others should aspire to...
Sometimes it can be hard to make a review about an album like this interesting. I just want to say the same thing about each and every song; brilliant. It appears that it is easier to rip something apart then it is to give it praise and commendation. I know that it may not appear that way when looking over my reviews, but it is.

I happened onto Anthony Hamilton by pure accident. It was one of those marvelous and rewarding accidents, that's for sure. I was actually looking for another artist entirely but this album popped up and so I decided (as I often do) to purchase it and see what it was like. Thank the lord in heaven for that because `Soulife' is actually one of my favorite albums in my CD case. Every track here is marvelously crafted and delivers beautifully. From the opening `I Used to Love Someone' (one of the best tracks on the album) to the closing track `Exclusively' (a great way to get us wanting more), `Soulife' is quite frankly flawless.

`Soulife' is a compilation of tracks Hamilton recorded in between releasing his debut album `XTC' and his sophomore album `From Where I'm From'. Due to problems with his label the album was not released until 2005, but it doesn't feel dated in the least (maybe that's because you can't date a genre like this). The songs all sound fresh and crisp; effortless to say the least. Anthony Hamilton has such a soulful voice, such a smoky and heartfelt sound that evokes real emotion and caresses the eardrums masterfully. Just listen to his subtle flow on `Georgie Parker', one of the albums most recognizable tracks.

The album is a great mix of soulful ballads that play strong to the R&B side of things and stay true to what makes Hamilton such an admirable artist. A song like `Day Dreamin' is so infectious in its melody and Hamilton's silky vocal delivery that you can't help but fall for its grace, while `Ball & Chain' (one of my favorite tracks here) delivers a completely different feeling, coupling the laid back soul vibe with pressing lyrics that `paint a perfect picture'. Ballads like `Clearly', and even more so `I Cry', crawl under the listener's skin and bring us right into the mood and mindset Hamilton was in while recording. `Ol Keeper' has a very funky vibe that sets an instance bounce in your groove. Tracks like `Icing on the Cake' and `Love is so Complicated' play this same funk vibe and actually come off a tad disco-like.

Two of the cuts here feature guest vocals. `Last Night' features Sunshine Anderson and while the chorus gets a little `blah' the verses work very well. It's not one of my favorite songs, in fact it may be my least favorite song here, but I don't skip it. Drastically different is the way I feel towards `Love & War' featuring Macy Gray. Now my feelings for this song are very surprising since I've never been a fan of Gray herself; in fact when she first appeared on the music scene I was repulsed by her lack of talent, but I actually enjoy her here. Maybe I need to give her another try. She works so well with Hamilton, her rasp contrasting in a beautiful nature against his smooth texture.

In the end `Soulife' is masterfully constructed to get the listener intoxicated by this man's music and create in us a desire to know everything he's ever touched. This was my first experience with Hamilton, but it was not my last. Thanks to this brilliant album I have experienced all that Anthony has recorded, but `Soulife' will always have a special place with me for it brought this wonderfully talented man to my ears. Anthony Hamilton sings music that means something; music that reaches people.

Here's to hoping his music reaches you. March 31, 2008

 Soulive
Everybody trounced his previous album Comin From Where Im From but I thought it was a decent offering. This album is more of an improvement over that album and it shows his true potential as an artist. I Used To Love Someone was a great song to start off the album. I Cry and Georgie Parker might sound dated to some people but I love those track because it reminds me of R&B/soul was before it got bastardized. Day Dreamin, Clearly, Love Is So Complicated(which nicely samples Barry White's Midnight Groove) and Exclusively are all highlights. Icing On The Cake is just that. Sunshine Anderson and Dolo Pichino show up on the beautiful Last Night. I never liked Love And War feat Macy Gray and Ol' Keeper is unlistenable. Other than that this album is pretty good and is recommended to any fan of soul music(I refuse to use the term Neo-soul). Standouts: I USED TO LOVE SOMEONE, I CRY, CLEARLY, LAST NIGHT, LOVE IS SO COMPLICATED,ICING ON THE CAKE and EXCLUSIVELY. March 10, 2008

 Soulful
Anthony Hamilton is soulful, no doubt about it. I purchased the cd because I really like his voice... He could be singing the ABC's and I'd be satisfied. He is definately underrated in my opinion, but anyway, the cd is great! I recommend it to all Anthony Hamilton fans! May 17, 2007

 Surprise!
I'm a first-timer, concerning Anthony Hamilton but I must say he's a wonderful surprise. This project could never have any other title but "SoulLife" and he definetely knows what Soul means. As a musician I must admit some jealousy happened when I realised I wouldn't have come up with a project like this one so soon, having this sense of correct and unpretentious integrity. The best of it all, I slow-bounced while listening and getting into the context (good words and great guests)! I grew up a little bit more as a musician listening to him, thank you! May 13, 2007

 "Daydreaming when I Sleep"!!!!
I first heard this song while watching an episode of Soulfood on Showtime. I loved it the moment I heard it, and it played during the right scene. What a soulful brother Anthony Hamilton is! Not since Luther, Barry White, just name a few, have I heard a words that moved me the way his songs do. I have been listening to him ever since. With music the way it is today, we must be grateful to have music to listen to like this. This is a very good CD and I look foward to more of his music. February 18, 2007

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