George Huff

Album review

George Huff, the former American Idol contestant's first album since his 2005 debut Miracles, makes no bones about being a bright, cheerful, contemporary gospel album. There may be remnants of classic '70s soul - it's not by coincidence that there are heavy similarities to Al Green, particularly when he's punctuated by horns as he is on "Turn It Around" - but apart from the heavy synths on the Usher-styled "Free" and an unfortunate reliance on computer-corrected vocals, there's no attempt to sell Huff to a crossover contemporary soul audience, the way there was on Miracles. This is music as bright and cheerful as Huff himself, so it's not a surprise that he wrote the great majority of the album on his own; it's a reflection of his personality. As such, whether or not you like George Huff depends on how much you like George Huff, who remains very likeable despite his fondness for stiff, overheated spoken intros. This is not an album for new converts, it's for the converted, and it will satisfy them.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo