When you have 16 #1 hits as both an artist and a highly sought after producer for many smooth artists, the word unstoppable would seem aptly applied to Adam Hawley. The guitarist, who was handpicked by Earth, Wind & Fire found Maurice White for the band's own Kalimba label upon his debut on the scene in 2016, seems to embody the word, which also happens to be the title for his sixth release. Already a Billboard #1 hit from this project, Hawley's 10 song offering is yet again ripe with infectious grooves, stylish melodies, and some highly notable guests who bring some musical personality of their own on board for the ride.
Hawley set the the tone on his magnificent project with the highly infectious and musically irresistible premier single Uptop, then upped himself one with the followup and title tune Unstoppable, falling just shy of Billboard's coveted and esteemed #1 position, but equally as driving and rhythmic as the previous. Keeping with the ' up' theme, Hawley is once again on fire with the highly energetic Up On It, as his brilliant guitar work gets some brass and sax backup giving an added layer of instrumental greatness.
Hawley welcomes special guest saxophonist/pianist Judah Sealey to the project on Absolute Love, another uptempo gem but with a definitive romance vibe as one would expect on tune with such a title. And on the topic of romance, the guitarist's wife Kat provides some sweet and sultry vocals on Best Part, a back to basics love song with stripped down guitar and a laid back vibe that caps off with the sound of gently flowing water.
Soul Vibe and Yearning For Your Love, the latter featuring the light vocal accompaniment of L. Young, demonstrate the versatility in Hawley's as a songwriter and performer in that he has the mastery to to shift gears from addictive funky tempos, to a romantic yet equally mesmerizing, slower jams, all without missing a beat, metaphorically speaking. And that becomes unequivocally clear on Unstoppable, a title which I think is highly metaphorical to what Hawley's future holds.
Reviewed by Stu Berketo