Anthony Hamilton

Some things, thankfully, never go out of style. Case in point: the bona fide soul of Anthony Hamilton.

That distinctive, six-time Grammy-nominated voice is back on "The Point of It All," Hamilton's third official studio album (So So Def/Zomba Label Group). Like "Comin' From Where I'm From" (2003) and "Ain't Nobody Worryin'" (2005) before it, this new album once again plays up the singer/songwriter's natural talent: rich, soul-steeped vocals breathing sonorous life into emotion-packed lyrics. But this time around, you'll find the former barber cutting up a little more than usual.

"I want fans to hear my growth," says the Charlotte, North Carolina native, "but I also want to open up the ears of those who don't know about Anthony Hamilton. I don't always want to be known as the sad cat. I like to have a good time, too. I've taken fans to church and baptized them; there are those who say I've healed them with my music. Now we're going to boogie in the name of the Lord."

To help balance both sides of his musical equation, Hamilton enlisted the familiar and the new. Back for return engagements are songwriter/producers Mark Batson (Hamilton's signature hits "Coming From Where I'm From" and "Charlene"), James Poyser and Kelvin Wooten. "It's always going to be them; they give me what I need," says Hamilton of his longtime collaborators. "They know what I've been doing but can see the growth I'm experiencing."