Anthony Hamilton
intended to stock his first self-released album with material in support of the fight for racial equality and in honor of Black lives taken by racist actions. As he was writing and recording, he opted to ease up somewhat to cover a broader range of emotions.
Love Is the New Black
is not without songs that convey a message. "Mercy" is a sorrowful but tough ballad in which
Hamilton
, seemingly consumed with grief, sings with his chest like never before. In the following low-slung "Safe," his voice switches from dispirited to determined, from "It's gettin' gutter 'round here/I lost my brother 'round here" to "Justice, we gon' get it back/Our families, we gon' get 'em back." Those two songs lead the way to the finale, where
assures his mother like a visiting absent son taking a short break from hustling for survival. The
Trouble Man
theme seeps into some of the preceding love songs, such as the shaming "Threw It All Away," a weary if elegant ballad that integrates a sample from
Tom Brock
's
Barry White
-produced "I Love You More and More." Elsewhere, the sweeter "Coming Home" could pass for a cover of a mid-'70s
Isley Brothers
classic, all the way down to the fiery guitar solo, and "I Thought We Were in Love," another powerful pleader, got its sway from
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
' "I Miss You." Speaking of soul classics,
and
Jennifer Hudson
pair up for a reading of "Superstar" modeled after -- and distinct from -- the
Luther Vandross
version.
also delivers one of the hottest-blooded slow jams with "White Hennessy," and dips back into hip-hop soul with the testimonial "Real Love" -- an original, not a
Mary J. Blige
cover -- produced to neck-swinging effect by
9th Wonder
. The contributions of
Rick Ross
Lil Jon
are unnecessary, but the same most definitely cannot be said about
Jermaine Dupri
, a factor as co-songwriter and co-producer on most of the highlights.
Dupri
hadn't worked on a
album since the breakthrough
So So Def
recording
Comin' from Where I'm From
. So, in a way,
is both a full-circle moment and a fresh start for the newly independent singer. ~ Andy Kellman