It would be wrong to dismiss Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard’s debut album, Shine Through It, as another Hollywood vanity project. Howard’s vocal stylings are a reminiscent of Terence Trent D’Arby, and musically, this is an album that refuses to be boxed in, jumping from bossa nova to flamenco at the drop of a hat. Howard is a fluid guitarist, and the triumphant “Love Makes You Beautiful” and “Sanctuary” are lifted by his passionate vocals. The album doesn’t always work — “Mr. Johnson’s Lawn,” for instance, sounds muddled and slightly unfocused — but Shine Through It is a unique, uncompromising effort

–todd williams

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