California urban r b

Much of modern R&B is sung in whispers, falsettos and throaty murmurs.It is refreshing to come across an R&B voice that is seasoned, strong and solid. Vel Omarr has such a voice. His premiere CD, "Rhythms and the Blues", presents a robust range of approaches to modern R&B. His song, "You're All That", features a loping bass line tightened by a sustained synth-string fill and guess what? Sam Cooke influenced vocals. "That's Alright With Me" is a romantic and manly ballad in the Old-School, slow-dance/piano triplet sense. "Morality" is an incredibly soulful take on traditional reggae the background vocals punctuate the chorus at just the right times, and the lyrics are refreshing straight talk on the state of modern society. There is a lot of discussion on R&B Websites about the lack of good old passion and groove in today's artists. These critics might do well to explore some of the indie sources of music they care about. There are delightful surprises like Vel Omarr out there, making the kind of magic that made us R&B devotees in the first place. Reviewer: Barney Quick, Indie-Music.com