7 Days in Memphis

Unbeknown to many of his fans who are only familiar with his work via such films as and or his starring role on the TV soap opera , actor has a considerable background in musical theater; in fact, his first movie role was as a wannabe '50s teen idol in 's 1980 cult classic . These musical roots were overshadowed by his success as a film actor in the late '80s and '90s, to the point that only his most devoted fans knew of his skills as a singer. This wound up serving a dramatic purpose on a pivotal episode on the second season of The OC, in 2005, when 's appeared to forget his 20th wedding anniversary but wound up surprising his wife with a performance of at the show's local nightclub. The audience was as surprised as the characters that could actually sing -- which not only made the episode work dramatically, but made 's performance a digital hit, leading to several offers for him to record a full-length album. wound up signing with , headed down to in Memphis, teamed up with some of the city's best musicians (produced by and led by guitarist ), and recorded a set of , comprised largely of but also featuring a couple of new songs. And like 's performance at the end of that OC episode, 's album comes a surprise. Far from being a vanity project, or the awkward attempt of a singer to sound soulful, it's a damn good record, thanks in part to that crackerjack collection of Memphis studio pros, but largely due to 's impassioned, unexpectedly subtle and soulful performance. Instead of sounding polished and affected, sounds as if he's singing from his heart, bringing his own phrasing to familiar songs and giving these performances some real grit and heart. While he doesn't reinvent warhorses like -- they're straight up , adhering to the trademark / sound -- he does make them sound fresh, and the newer songs, highlighted by ' sit comfortably next to the classics, making this a well-rounded, consistent album. What's most impressive about is that it doesn't just succeed according to an adjusted grading curve for celebrities: it's very good by any measure, and in a way, it's more impressive that a singer raised on musical theater could make an album this soulful than it is that an actor could make an album this credible. Either way, is a satisfying, enormously likeable album that will not only surely please anybody who loved hearing sing, but could also win over skeptics who know little of or . ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine