Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet, The Truth Iz Out (Independent)

The new CD from Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet encompasses old school and new school soul with songs that show off his stinging rasp in the title track, his romantic croon in “Happily Ever After,” and his soaring voice on “Check It Out.” He gets songs from some of the more unsung New Orleans songwriters including Aaron Neville, Jr., Ivan Neville, Delisa Harris, Jason Neville and Norman Caesar, and Leslie Smith and Michael Pellera, who contribute the torchy “I Am Blue.”

The music is mainly synthesizer driven with Marc Pero’s in-the-pocket bass and June Yamagishi’s clean guitar providing a rhythmic base and some great flourishes. There are also some classic touches on certain songs such as the flute on “Risin’ to the Top” that sounds like an outtake from Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and the early 1980s strings on “Check It Out.”

DeClouet’s only misstep is the robotic “I Love Myself” with its spoken vocals and repetitive bell. Other than that, The Truth Iz Out covers a range of soul and rhythm and blues that would be at home on Solid Gold Soul radio and WWOZ.