True to Myself, ya'll

I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed because I didn't know that Eric Benet's album had been released. It was released on June 21st, a month ago! I say that I'm embarrased because I'm supposed to be this major Eric Benet fan, I should know these things. When Eric's first album, True to Myself, was released I couldn't stop raving about him. I was only 14 at the time, so I wasn't able to convert any of my friends to Benet Heads but I was able to convert my mother and a lot of the older people in my family. I should have been paid for all the pub that I gave that man.



With all of that being said I'd like to review his latest album. This is my first time ever writing a review, so please be gentle.

Eric Benet released his first album, True to Myself, in 1996. His second album, A Day in the Life, released in 1999 garnered him a Grammy nomination for his song "Spend My Life with You" featuring songstress Tamia. He caught the acting bug, making guest appearances on the sitcom For Your Love and starring in Mariah Carey’s movie Glitter. He then went on to marry actress Halle Berry in 2001, which subsequently ended in divorce in early 2005. After six years, Eric is finally back with his latest release entitled Hurricane.

The title of the CD, Hurricane, is a metaphor for last few years of Eric’s life, consisting mainly of his battles with infidelity and sex addiction, as well as his messy divorce. But after a hurricane you rebuild to make things whole and new, this is what Benet does with his latest effort.

Hurricane, is very different from his last two albums. The last two albums featured songs that were uptempo, jazzy, soulful, and even a little funk-filled. This mainly ballad-filled album features lots of instruments from strings to horns, as well as acoustic guitar. This took me for a loop the first time I listened to the album. Sometimes changing styles can be detrimental to an artist, but this wasn’t the case for Benet.

The album begins with an acoustic driven track called "Be Myself Again", it’s reminiscent of his song Chains from his first album. While I’m not partial to the down home, hokey sound of the guitar I like the lyrics a lot. Eric states that he was lost and now he’s found himself again.

The Eric of old returns with Pretty Baby, the theme of the song is like one of my favorite songs "Olivia (Lost and Turned Out)" by The Whispers. A young woman is allowing her body to be used and abused by men, Eric is telling her that she is too smart and beautiful to allow herself to be treated that way.

"Hurricane", the title track, is beautifully orchestrated and written. Eric tells the story of how sometimes we are in bad situations that we know are bad, but we try to mask it over to make it look good. Sometimes something even worse, a hurricane, is needed to make you realize this and get you out of the situation.

"India", a song dedicated to his daughter, is another song in which the old Eric comes out. The lyrics are beautiful and the music and Eric’s voice are heavenly.

"The Last Time", I heard the end of this song at the end of Eric’s interview with Diane Sawyer on Primetime Live, and I knew that I would love it. This songs reminds me of a Nat King Cole song, it’s very jazzy.

Overall, I’d give this album and A-. The minus because songs like "Be Myself Again", "My Prayer", and "Man Enough to Cry" are simply not Eric’s style. They are too hokey and sappy. Even though, the style of this album has a changed from the previous two, I do not think Eric Benet fans will be disappointed. Eric’s voice is still as pure as it has ever been.