Carl Thomas: Emotional : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The new-soul movement has splintered almost neatly into two camps: the renegades (MeShell Ndegeocello, Rachid) and the neoclassicists (Angie Stone, Olu). Carl Thomas falls into the latter category with a casual and confident elegance. His liner notes list Nat "King" Cole as an influence; you can clearly hear the late master's smooth phrasing echoed in Thomas' delivery. But you also hear faint traces of the late Donny Hathaway, both in Thomas' vocals and in much of the production style he's draped in (especially on the first single, "I Wish," one of this year's great radio tunes). His debut album, Emotional, is an unabashedly romantic work, spun on the twin poles of longing and loss. Though a little overloaded with ballads, the album lays bare a notable ambition within that genre's confine -- it bridges stark vulnerability with hip-hop cool to arrive at old-school soulfulness. From the aching "My Valentine" to "Giving You All My Love" (co-written by Kelly Price, who also provides backing vocals) to the spoken-word breakdown of "Trouble Won't Last," Thomas proves himself a more than viable heir to the tradition of race-music crooners. (RS 843)

ERNEST HARDY