For over a decade now, British soul singer Omar has been hovering under the radar of mainstream R&B. His latest, Best By Far, takes elements of funk, bossa nova, reggae and quiet storm soul and streamlines them into a safe, radio-friendly sound. The tasteful, tightly arranged horns of the opening cut “I Guess” serve as the best moments of the record, laying Omar’s heavy Stevie Wonder influence bare. From there, Best doesn't stray very far, though he does include some gangsta rap synths on “Tell Me” All in all, Best is a better than average record kept from excelling due to slick, ill-fitting production. Couple Omar with a more organic producer, and the results could be deliciously soulful.
Appeared in the March 2004 issue of Rockpile magazine.