3 CATT

Grade: AIt's tempting to label Anthony David Mr. India Arie. He's got an acoustic guitar base, thoughtful lyrics and an entry on his resume touting his writing and background singing with the multi-Grammy winner. But if you're really going to do some name-calling, this is the R&B album fellow gravelly soul singer Darius Rucker was probably trying to make when he recorded without the Blowfish. It's Bill Withers if he came out now instead of the early '70s, blending hip-hop and contemporary social issues with his blues and reggae. And though it sounds nothing like it, it's the best record to come out of this city's R&B scene since Usher's.--- Sonia Murray