Search - Carl Thomas :: So Much Better

As easy as Carl Thomas' So Much Better is to love--the lyrics poke at the heart, and the singing swerves from soft to determined in a way that satisfies consistently--its admirers will fall into a couple of camps. Under one tent you'll find mainstream R&B fanatics, the kind who never heard a skillful handclap and ooh-baby combo they weren't willing to vibe along with, and hanging out under the other will be old-schoolers who never stopped mourning Donny Hathaway. Thomas's knack for delivering both groups the soul-stirring, love-centric songs that thrill them is no small thing--his ability to dig beneath a song's shiny surface and pull out pure emotion would do his iconic predecessors proud. Plus, he makes it all seem easy: midtempo tracks like the reggae-fied "On No (You Can't Be Serious)," on which his voice takes on tinges of John Legend, send out bursts of genuine joy, while straight-up love laments like "2 Pieces" land on the ears with a believability so real it almost burns. --Tammy La Gorce