Wrapped in an occasionally ill-fitting satin sheet, Eddie "Sea" Caldwell’s single-producer compilation project hotly blows with just enough humidity to make it sticky baby-making music for the grown n’ sexy. Lightly funky with sound underground vocalists and righteous lyrics, the compilation starts and ends well enough with seductive, if routine fair, but unexpectedly unravels at the center when it tries for overly self-conscious experimentation. Iesha Sturdivant, Shauntia Toussaint and Golden Child overreach for the exotic on "Sunrise in Bangkok," "Diamonds," and "Edge of Night," respectively, each with vaguely East Asian influences and electronic guitar riffs flowering dark soundscapes. Sadly, plodding pacing and muddled lyricism undermines these efforts. Still, Golden Child (a Glenn Lewis doppleganger), Aaron Sledge, Shauntia Toussaint and Rio a.k.a. Swolts deserve honorable mentions for conjuring coolly embraceable performances on the album’s more refreshing summer breeezes. Notable songs: "India," "Sister," "Soul Searcher" and "Underwater Paradse."
Vocals: 2.5 stars Lyrics: 2 stars Music: 3 stars Production: 3 stars SoulTracks Call: Recommended
By: L. Michael Gipson
