Acey Duecy

After writing some key songs on India.Arie’s 2001 breakout album Acoustic Soul, Anthony David put out a few independent releases that showcased his own vision of acoustic soul. His 2008 major-label debut features the best songs from those early independent releases: 2004’s Three Chords & the Truth and 2006’s The Red Clay Chronicles. Most modern R&B performers—the good ones—end up making albums that feel like they were constructed in a laboratory, but Acey Duecy averts any cold, processed feelings. As an acoustic guitarist, singer, and songwriter, David falls into the tradition of Bill Withers, and he retains the spirit of his forefather: a soulful everyman singing about life’s everyday concerns with full-bodied sincerity. Songs like “Smoke One” and “Krooked Kop” make this more of a lifestyle statement than a strict program of tunes for lovers. Musically, Acey Duecy ranges in material from gentle club songs (“Something About You,” “Stop Playin’”) to Southern rap in the mold of David’s ATL brethren Goodie Mob (“Kinfolk,” “GA Peach”). Still, he's at his best on “Cheatin’ Man,” “Cold Turkey,” and “Spittin’ Game.”