American Storyteller is Tommy Howell’s debut album and a bit of a revelation. It’s the first sustained musical work from the actor known as C. Thomas Howell and there’s nothing about the release that reeks of vanity project or a lark. Howell has obvious songwriting chops and he’s recruited a first class cadre of musicians to help realize his musical vision. Some may hear the eleven songs Howell wrote and recorded for American Storyteller and hear a bit of “canned” vamping on well-worn cliches; they aren’t listening with the right set of ears. Instead, Howell has deliberately cast himself as part of a long American tradition rather than attempting to refashion the songwriting wheel.
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You hear that in the opener “Whiskey Demon”. One of the most album’s most successful singles thus far has ribald bluesy swagger, yet its outlaw country roots are audible throughout. The uncompromising spirit roaring from the heart of this song also bears scars despite being tempered by experience. The second track “Rose Hill” is much more devotees of this style of music than other tracks on the album as it refers to the Macon, Georgia cemetery that figures so prominently in Southern rock lore. Howell, likewise, embraces a much more dramatic and dynamic musical backing for this song – light and shadow exist side by side. His homage to the Allman Brothers’ continuing power to captivate multiple generations doesn’t feel or sound forced.
“Lady Luck” and “Raised by Wolves” are two of the album’s strongest blues rockers. Both pack considerable instrumental firepower without ever going over the line into outright heavy-handed cliché. The latter, in particular, gains a lot of traction thanks to its hard-hitting transitions and an irresistible refrain/ “Lady Luck”, like most songs on American Storyteller, trades in on some classic rock and blue rock tropes without it ever sounding tiresome.
The track “’88” signals a transition of sorts. The remainder of the album segues into a more acoustic and low-key sound, with exceptions. “’88” should prove to be a familiar listening experience for many as it’s a song deep in recalling a more ideal past than our current realities. There’s a bit of wistfulness, perhaps, for a reality that never really existed. Howell pours a lot of energy into his performance that helps the track further standout. “Hope I Ain’t Dead” is one of the album’s best examples of outright singer/songwriter material and Howell’s invocation of how life wreaks changes on us all makes for one of American Storyteller’s best songs. It’s a great love song without ever slipping into territory that’s too familiar for listeners. The song’s lonesome harmonica wail sets it further apart.
The closer “Ponygirl” ends the collection with a melodic slant missing from many of the earlier songs. In some ways, this may the album’s clearest “look” into Howell’s potential as he shows himself to be far more capable than just belting out blues rockers. Tommy Howell shows himself to be, arguably, an even more compelling musical presence than a screen presence and that’s saying something. Let’s greet this new turn from an established name with the kudos it deserves.
Loretta Kim