Charlie Wilson: Love, Charlie
Details
Genre: r&bPros:
Vocally, Wilson proves that no one in today's contemporary R&B holds a candle up to himCons:
Where are the uptempos? Where's the funk? We're still asking that question.Smooth soul balladeer continues his love for grown-folk slow jams
Smooth soul balladeer continues his love for grown-folk slow jams
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the 60-year old Charlie Wilson is one of the finest male vocalists in the R&B game right now. Surviving cancer scares, drug addiction and the ups-and-downs of genre transformations, Charlie Wilson is – at best – a survivor. And with his fourth solo record, he continues to be an unstoppable talent. He’s grown comfortable with his trend of grown-folks music, singing “I love you, baby” pleasantries to the tune of adult contemporary soul. If you’re looking for some kind of change of direction, not much has changed since his last record. He does surround himself around a better set of producers (Insominiaz, Charlie “Phantom” Singleton, Wirlie“Optimas Pryme” Morris), but you can cast aside those big wishes for a Gap Band funk throwback or something seriously uptempo. It’s also apparent that the songs, even with Wilson’s songwriting pen involved each of them, are far from perfect. For instance, the piano-driven ballad “If I Believe” marches like an OneRepublic pop tune, but the “twinkie twinkle little star” lyric sounds like a total gaffe. “Turn Off the Lights” relies heavily on Wilson’s ad-libs and vocal runs, while the song’s lyrics fall flat in the foreplay department. He tries to salvage the Prince-esque slow jam “A Million Ways to Love You” even if it lacks a million ways to create the perfect sing-a-long.
Where Love, Charlie shines the brightest is when Wilson is doing what he does best: crooning. The lead single “My Love Is All I Have” sounds like it’s been cloned from the remnants of “You Are,” which spoils the idea of any type of musical progression for Uncle Charlie. But his emotive vocalizing and conviction proves to be the last of the pre-Pro Tools generation. Thanks to his powerful soulful pleading on the faux-doo-wop of “I Think I’m In Love” and the Guy-sounding “Say,” Wilson proves that even an evening of mediocre Quiet Storm can be redeemed using a touch of brandy in the hands of the perfect pitcher.
