Ernie Halter has a strong, clear voice that seems pretty effortless. He doesn't ever seem like he's over-projecting, but he comes through loud and clear on every track. It's also pretty difficult to categorize his music. He bounces pretty easily from rock to a sort of soul/funk delivery in "Blue Dress" to a hip-hop style in "Cyclone." Musically, Halter and his band are pretty solid as well. They certainly have a clean sound and each musician is pretty good at what he does.
If you sense a "but" coming, you're right. I listened to this three times before I sat down to write this review and I couldn't quite place what I thought was missing. Finally, I realized it. This album is all about having love, losing love, and subtle things about relationships (like a blue dress) that really make them tick. So, what's wrong with an album about love? Frankly, there is nothing wrong with it. I mean, Ernie Halter certainly isn't the first artist to write about love. But here's the thing. It seems to me that Halter plays that particular theme very safely. I guess that's the trick. If you are going to write songs about something as universal as love, it's not easy to explore new ground, or at least give a new perspective.
That being said, it is clear to me that Ernie Halter is a very talented singer/songwriter. His voice is truly the highlight of the album. Not only that, he has surrounded himself with talented musicians who compliment his voice. I don't expect this will be the last we hear of Ernie Halter.
