Anthony Hamilton (2003)

Seven long years after releasing his debut, North Carolina crooner Anthony Hamilton returns with an excellent disc of warm, fuzzy R&B that should solidify his standing among the neo-soul crowd. Hamilton sang backup on D'Angelo's last tour, and his former employer's influence is all over the album: the lush and languorous arrangements, the calibrated mix of vulnerability and masculinity, and the throaty, understated vocals. Hamilton distinguishes himself, however, with his sly humor (''I put the juice in Jheri curl,'' he boasts on ''Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens'') and empathetic lyrics that bypass typical R&B cliches.

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