Vibe (p.214) - 3 discs out of 5 - "[H]is warm tones and heartfelt verses usually restore the romance, proving that he's capable of continuing in his hometown tradition."
Personnel: Dwele (vocals, guitar, trumpet, flugelhorn, Fender Rhodes piano, bass instrument); Shumetris Halford (vocals); Slum Village, Poppa Yo (rap vocals); Boney James (saxophone); Antwan Gardner (trombone).
Recording information: Modat, Detroit, MI.
From the opening measures of his sophomore effort, 2005's SOME KINDA..., Dwele makes it clear that something strikingly original is happening, and it's well outside the boundaries of any standard or even nouveau soul crooner's arsenal. The opener "Holla" slowly unfurls as Dwele lays a silken vocal--with echoes of both Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye--over a surreal landscape of hip-hop, acid-jazz, late-era Motown, and 1970s Philly soul. While Dwele is indebted to the musically adventurous spirit of his hometown of Detroit, particularly on off-kilter tracks like "Caught Up" and more traditional songs of seduction like "Weekend Love," this smart, smooth album has a unique, wholly organic sound all its own.