When
Ernie Halter released his debut, Lo-Fidelity, in 2005, it was obvious that his voice was an extraordinary instrument, but the recording lived up to its name -- just
Halter's pipes and acoustic guitar, dicey, distant-sounding two-track recording -- and it was not yet possible to ascertain just what he had in him.
Congress Hotel is more like it. Here the Southern Californian works with a full complement of musicians (including a delicious Hammond organ on most tracks) that expose the range of his smooth, soulful singing. And soul is the key word here: like
John Mayer and
James Hunter,
Halter draws from the best of the classic R&B generation (
Stevie Wonder is an especially prominent influence, his phrasing apparent in several of
Halter's songs), but there's an equally significant nod to the classic rock of
Paul McCartney,
Elvis Costello (whose drummer, Pete Thomas, is present here) and
Billy Joel in the pop-ish arrangements.
Halter is an easygoing sort, not a shouter, and his songs -- there's a preponderance of simple declarations of love -- don't always say a lot. But his vocal delivery is so convincing, and these tunes so appealing, that it seems like he's saying a lot anyway. ~ Jeff Tamarkin