Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Anthony Hamilton is The Man. I put SOUTHERN COMFORT on two days ago and can't get it out of the player, not that I've tried. He’s got that Bill Withers’ groove going, the one that isn't always the current big thing but never really goes away either. This is what grown folks call “soul,” and I guarantee you that I know six women of an age that I could play this for, right now, and they would each and all be stuck to their chairs in three minutes. SOUTHERN COMFORT is a masterpiece, beautiful and perfect and cosmic from beginning to end.

I cannot figure out why Hamilton is not a household name. He has released several CDs and even a DVD over the past few years, won a BET award, is critically respected by his peers (and his talent is such that he doesn't have many, believe me), but kids like Ne-Yo still get the props. Ne-Yo is good, don't get me wrong, but Hamilton isn't even on this planet. Listen to SOUTHERN COMFORT and you hear the gospel influence, the deep south soul groove. You hear B.B. King on his early Kent tracks and on his later Bluesway cuts echoing up through the notes and Al Green from both his pop and gospel periods and love and pain and joy and sorrow all in about three seconds or so and then Hamilton cranks it up a notch or two and it’s all Hamilton, all the time.

SOUTHERN COMFORT gets things pumping with the opener, “They Don't Know,“ then turns it slow and sensual with “Magnolia’s Room.” Let’s talk about “Magnolia’s Room” for just a second. Decades ago, people much more articulate than I said that Motown music was for kissing, while Memphis soul was for making love. Well, “Magnolia’s Room” is for knocking’ the boots, absolutely. “Don't Say What You Won't Do” builds off of Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By” but actually becomes a plea for brotherhood which, amazingly enough, won't make you gag. Hamilton is for real. The pain on the inspirational “Glad U Called” and the uplifting righteousness on “Trouble” is for real. On “Trouble,” in particular, Hamilton is absolutely first rate, warning men who are addicted to trouble of the consequences. It’s followed by “Never Give Up,” with a fat organ and a guitar riff playing under Hamilton’s vocals, as inspirational a piece as you'll hear inside or outside of church. I mean it.

I'm not going to be able to listen to anything for weeks without hearing SOUTHERN COMFORT playing in the back of my head. It absolutely, positively does not get any better than this. Well, EVERYTHING’S OK by The Reverend Al Green was AS good as this, but it doesn't get any better than this. It'll bring you to your knees. Even while you're driving. Don't miss it. This might be my Number One CD of the year.