Rahsaan Patterson - After Hours (2005)

After a very long five year wait in which he suffered the death of his MCA label and made a decision to record independently, Rahsaan Patterson has finally released his new disc, After Hours, available in Europe on U.K.-based Dome label and in the U.S. on Patterson's own Artistry Music label.  While the long delay is an indictment of the hip-hop obsessed major record labels and popular radio, the album's release is a triumph for Patterson's small-but-loyal fan base and is a welcome addition to his discography.

The first three cuts on After Hours clearly set the tone for the disc: from the opening beat of the tasty "The One For Me" through the call-and-response "I Always Find Myself" to the Isley-ish dance number "So Hot," Patterson makes it clear that this is going to be a funkier, more uptempo disc than his previous two, which were most notable for their sophisticated arrangements and his soaring vocal performances.  The upbeat spirits continue for nearly the whole disc, and especially shine on the nice mid-tempo cuts "Forever Yours" and "Sometimes (You Gotta Let Go)."  And while Patterson's bright voice is engaging on the funky cuts, he again shows he is at his finest on the sweetest, most melodic cuts, here being the 70s-style ballad "The Best" and the album's best cut, "Don't Run So Fast." Though the disc has a few soft spots ("Loving You," "Separate" and "Yeah Yeah Yeah"), Patterson's vocal performance is consistently excellent and overall the album stands up well next to his critically acclaimed first two discs.  After Hours again establishes Patterson as one of the most underrated talents in Soul Music and an artist worth following. 

by Chris Rizik