The romantic-minded native of Vidalia, GA, clues listeners in on a chief influence by the third track here, when he infuses the dreamy "The Perfect Love Song" with the musical motif and "la las" from
Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour." A more contemporary comparison (at least on the charming ballads) would be
Brian McKnight, but strong, searing voices like
Mul-Ty's are always welcome in a genre that too often focuses on groove and production. The most inspiring song, "All That I've Got," is a passion play that requires only piano and the sincerity of his yearning pipes. Still, he's more than simply a modern-day classic balladeer. He has the new school firmly in mind with some of the filtered vocal rap elements between verses on "Fallin' in Love." He shows these two vibes perfectly in the two versions of the title ballad, including a gospel-flavored "Juke Joint Mix." ~ Jonathan Widran