Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated actor Terrence Howard marches to the beat of his own drum (and I’m sure that drum is stuffed with baby wipes).

I’m also sure that when he announced he was recording an album, people were expecting something smooth and eclectic, just like the man himself.

And that’s exactly what you get with his highly-anticipated debut album, Shine Through It, which hits stores today.

In his promising debut of eleven songs, Howard tells a story of love and life just as singer-songwriters have done for years. But with flamenco, soul, folk and jazz influences, this album is like nothing you’ve ever heard before, and that’s a good thing.

The album opener, “Love Makes You Beautiful” has a similar guitar rift to Jim Croce’s classic, “Time in a Bottle“. The song begins as a soft, brooding track but builds into a lush masterpiece complete with a children’s choir.

The title track “Shine Through It” is a cinematic climax of strings and horns about allowing ourselves to experience the light of spirituality: “All I want to be/Is a little more like me/And all I want from you/Is to let some light shine through.”

“Mr. Johnson’s Lawn” is a childhood tale about trying to sneak around with the next-door neighbor’s daughter while staying off her father’s lawn set to a fusion of island rhythms, flutes and strings.

The soft, romantic “Sanctuary” was inspired by the singer-songwriter meeting Seal and Heidi Klum at a Hollywood party and being impressed by the level of commitment in their relationship: “Living like a Casanova was living/Feeling unsure but no one was missing/Then you called/And you found me/Heading on out to where I was restless… And it’s alright if part of the time/You’ve been looking for me”. Acoustic guitar (Howard taught himself to play) and strings fill this stirring track.

“No. 1 Fan” is a deeply personal, dark ballad in which Howard takes responsibility for his failed marriage: “You treat me like a walking mattress ad/And I don’t think I can love you anymore/If you want to leave girl/Do your thing/But don’t forget who you’re talking to/And I ain’t got no plans to change/So I guess you got some walking to do.”

“Spanish Love Affair” is an instrumental track with a Latin and Middle Eastern feel to it. Howard originally wrote it with Marc Anthony in mind: “I wanted him to recite some great Spanish poetry from 200 years ago over this beautiful music, but I couldn’t get in touch with him. I tried to do it, but I don’t speak Spanish. I can barely say, ‘Arriba‘.”

Then we get to the up-tempo and self-reflection “Plenty“, which has a very soulful feel. Followed by “I Remember When,” with its James Taylor vibe and whistling intro about young love: “I remember when/I was just a dude/You walked to school/Had some problems/And I talked them through.”

“All these songs are just walks through different avenues of my life,” explains Howard.

“It’s All Game” is largely smooth jazz instrumental with spoken words all about broken relationships. “She Was Mine,” however, is a blues-influenced joint about falling in love at a stop light: “Pleasure to meet you and let me be blunt/You’re a heavenly creature and that’s what I want”.

The album ends with “War“, which sounds like something from the early 20th century with its sax solo and jazz piano but speaks of an inevitable conflict between the East and West.

According to Howard: “Music has always been the road that leads to where I’m headed. Film is my vocation, my 9 to 5. In the movies, I’m doing what somebody else is asking me to do. Music is my own personal form of expression. My responsibility, like the sun’s, is to shine. Even if the planet is covered with clouds, I must say what I have to say.”

J.’s Joints: “Love Makes You Beautiful”, “Shine Through It”, “Mr. Johnson’s Lawn”, “Sanctuary”, “No. 1 Fan”, “Spanish Love Affair”, “Plenty”, “I Remember When”, “It’s All Game”, “She Was Mine”

Visit Terrence Howard on MySpace.

Post Title Download
Terrence Howard – “Love Makes You Beautiful” from Shine Through It

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