There’s a popular cliché that posits rats, cockroaches and Cher as the only three life forms capable of surviving an apocalypse, but if the last twenty years have been any indication, Bobby Brown needs to be added to the list. As mesmerizing as he is mercurial, the 43-year-old Boston native and Grammy-Award-winner and former teen… Continue reading Bobby Brown’s “The Masterpiece,” The MOC Preview & ST Review Link (2012)
Category: Contemporary Soul/R&B
Charlie Wilson’s “Forever Charlie,” The MOC Preview & ST Review Link
…..Heartland roots and humble beginnings aside, the Tulsa, OK native spent decades cementing his style as a frontman (The Gap Band Era) and as a solo artist (The Era of Uncle Charlie), overcoming obstacles (financial hardship, prostate cancer and addictions to drugs/alcohol) and reestablishing himself as a chart-topping soul survivor. So his latest solo CD,… Continue reading Charlie Wilson’s “Forever Charlie,” The MOC Preview & ST Review Link
Anthony Hamilton’s “Home For The Holidays,” The MOC Preview & Knowshi Review Link
…..Did I already mention that Brother Anthony’s vocals are the truth? Well, they are: he doesn’t recite the material as if he’s sending a text, the man slays it, knowing just when to pour on or pull back (if you can’t place his voice, think Bill Withers with a slight sand-papery edge/twang). The first two… Continue reading Anthony Hamilton’s “Home For The Holidays,” The MOC Preview & Knowshi Review Link
Johnny Gill’s “Game Changer,” The MOC Preview & ST CD Review Link
Easy on the eyes, honey to the ears and blessed with a vocal range that can go from the dance floor to a devotional, Johnny Gill has been an R&B mainstay now for three decades. Whether he’s crooned alongside Stacy Lattisaw, buttressed the adult era for New Edition or enriched the cool carnality of LSG,… Continue reading Johnny Gill’s “Game Changer,” The MOC Preview & ST CD Review Link
Jagged Edge’s “JE Heartbreak II,” The MOC Preview & ST Review Link
…..The quartet’s roughly-hewned harmonies and honest emotions, girded by the songwriting and production skills of Bryan Michael-Cox and Jermaine Dupri, respectively, resonated on hits like “Promise,” “He Can’t Love U” and “Let’s Get Married” in a way that evoked screams and plucked heartstrings. Subsequent releases like Jagged Edge and Hard were also embraced by fans,… Continue reading Jagged Edge’s “JE Heartbreak II,” The MOC Preview & ST Review Link