If You Catch Me Dreaming, Please Don’t Wake Me Till I’m Done

R&B has really fallen as a genre in recent years with most artists trying to hard to reach the hip-hop audience by singing over beats that should be reserved for rap songs. This had led to a shrinking amount of artist who sings over smooth soul grooves like Al Green and Donnie Hathaway (no relations to Anne) did in the heyday of the genre. Yeah today we have Alicia Keys and John Legend, but that’s about it. Another guy that can be added to that list is Anthony Hamilton who, even though he may be best known for singing hooks for rappers like Nappy Roots and Jadakiss, has recently arrived to help keep soul music alive.

Hamilton’s latest album, Ain't Nobody Worryin' focuses on all the tried and true soul theme of love whether it lost love (Where Did It Go Wrong?), trying to hold on love (Can’t Let Go), and right in the middle of love (Truth) as well as the general I Know What Love’s All About. And singing the hook on Jadakiss’ Why stirred some political awareness too in the vein of Marvin Gaye with songs like the title track (How the children gonna learn when they gotta take turns cause they ain’t got books to read) and Preacher’s Daughter (She had a habit that she couldn’t really stop, needed money so she had to hit the block) which also features Tarsha McMillian, who added some gravity to the already deep song, and just happens to be Hamilton's wife

Pass Me Over is the best song here as it’s the total package. The song is a gospel like ode about waiting for your Savior and is highlighted by a space piano and crescendos at the end with a choir backing Hamilton up, in his best vocal performance on the album, then comes down and concludes in a beautiful instrumental as Hamilton tells us he will “meet you on the other side.” There are a few speed bumps on the way through the album including Southern Stuff that has too much of a heavy hip-hop beat and the almost reggae Everybody. But Hamilton’s voice does a good job at trying to save those songs.

Be warned, this CD is copy protected, so buy it at your own risk.

Song to Download – Pass Me Over

Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.