Shine Through It

While Terence Howard has made his name as an Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated actor, appearing in Hustle and Flow, Ray, and Crash, and performing Three 6 Mafia’s Academy Award-winning “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp,” Howard is very much his own musician on this eclectic, versatile debut album. He breezes through a variety of styles, from a dramatic piano and flute romantic reverie (“Love Makes You Beautiful”), a Cuban and hip-hop flavored horn-driven dance tune (“Mr. Johnson’s Lawn”) to swaying R&B (“I Remember When”), a smooth blues shuffle (“She Was Mine”), and even instrumental showcases (“Spanish Love Affair,” “It’s All Game”). Howard doesn’t concern himself with genres and yet doesn’t attempt to work outside his range. His limited but effective voice mines the emotional ups and downs of a relationship (“No. 1 Fan”) with an authoritative grip on the musical dynamics. Co-producer Miles Mosley (Lauryn Hill, Herbie Hancock) balances an ambitious crew who create a smooth, professional nightclub vibe with a few grand arrangements thrown in for maximum effect. Yet, Howard’s songs are not simple platitudes of life and love, but often detail-oriented short stories that draw the listener into the situation at hand.