Soultru

The sound of a strummed acoustic guitar may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “soul music,” but when that guitar is paired with the raspy beauty of Soultru’s voice, it calls for a re-think of your expectations. Raw, intimate, and up-front, The Truth makes you feel like you’re in the very same room as he shares his riveting stories. “Black Eyed Peas” and “Come and Gone” are both mournful and celebratory, and “We” and “Me and Mine”—the latter a moving song to his brother—are best enjoyed with a box of tissues close by. While album-closer “Must Be” introduces fuller instrumentation, it’s the acoustic tracks that will steal your heart. At its core, soul is about stories and emotion, and the best of it is just as effective when its stripped down to its barest elements. Soultru proves that truth again and again throughout this moving acoustic gem. - Bandcamp - Chaka V. Grier

Soultru is an artist from Davenport, Iowa that has been putting out music for about the last five years, mixing together neo-soul and underground hip hop along the way. Nowhere was this more apparent than on his last release, 2018’s collaboration with producer Progeny, simply titled Soultru & Progeny. Now he’s back and shifting things in a different direction with The Truth: An Acoustic EP.

As you might have inferred from the title, this EP is a collection of stripped down acoustic tracks from Soultru. He’s still got the same soulful and raspy voice that is most people’s entry point into his music, but with this EP it is pretty much just him and acoustic guitar, so you’re not getting any of the musical cues that might communicate “soul” or “hip hop.” Instead, this feels just like a fairly straightforward and stripped down singer-songwriter EP. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It might take a moment of adjustment to get used to the different style of songwriting and performing, but the combination of Soultru’s strong vocals and his confessional lyricism will break through the sound that you’ve heard a million times before. It’s one of those things that when it’s done well, you don’t necessarily care if it’s groundbreaking or not, you just care that it moves you, and that’s what Soultru has done here. He’s not telling any crazy stories, either, just connecting with his listeners as he starts a family of his own and takes stock of his past, present, and future. He’s stripped things down so that you’re really focusing on his voice and his words, and he’s strong enough on both counts to make the project work.

Sometimes you just need to get back to basics, and that’s what Soultru has done with The Truth: An Acoustic EP. No frills, just good old-fashioned honest songwriting about his everyday life and a voice that’s strong enough to keep your ears perked for five songs. - Scratched Vinyl - Chi Chi Thalken

Terrance “Soultru” Banks has been blending pop, R&B and hip-hop for years. For The Truth, the Davenport singer’s latest EP, he’s taken an unexpected step back: peeling back the production and sitting down for a set of stripped-down, unguarded acoustic songs. It’s a bold move for any singer to branch out past the voice and pick up an instrument, especially one not found in one’s past material. Banks, inspired by his own listening habits, decided to grab a guitar and work out everything himself.

“I love acoustic guitar, so it made sense to do [an unplugged release] … Bands haven’t stuck, so it was easier to put out this style of music instead of the long process of working with a band,” Banks said. “Because I just really didn’t want to have to make Cadence keep playing everything. Even though she can.”

He’s referring to Cadence Graham, his longtime collaborator in Soultru (which serves as the name for the project itself as well as his personal stage name). Graham also makes music under the name Crystal Palace. While four of the five tracks are bare-bones acoustic ballads, “Must Be,” the glorious exception, is fully fleshed-out by Cadence on bass, drums and keyboards, confirming Banks’ statement of her abilities and ending the EP on an upbeat note.


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Soultru’s music has always been deeply personal, and the vulnerability is even stronger here. “Black Eyed Peas” starts with a near-death experience and moves from a musing on mortality to an affirmation of faith and being watched over by departed family. “Come and Gone” is a kiss-off to bad love with just enough hip-hop inflection on the verses to remind you where he’s coming from. “We” is the flipside, an achingly tender song of devotion and love, and “Me and Mine” is another song of family, struggle and perseverance.

“Must Be,” the aforementioned closer, is the outlier, combining classic soul with a Beatley, McCartneyesque bounce, courtesy of Cadence Graham’s jaunty piano. It’s a great taste of what first-time listeners can expect from Soultru-the-band when they bring the fusion pot to a boil — and a possible hint as to what may be coming.

Soultru’s next project is a full-band full-length, with some of the songs from The Truth getting the expanded treatment. He is also engaged in uploading a docuseries on his art and life to his YouTube channel one episode at at time. - Little Village - Loren Thacher

Soultru is the stage name of Terrance Banks, a soul/R&B artist from Davenport, Iowa. He credits a wide range of influences, including Gavin Degraw, John Legend, Yelawolf and Son Little. About his most recent release ‘Must Be’, Soultru explains:

‘”Must Be” is a song about those relationships that aren’t so perfect even though you know that your with the perfect one. Neither of you are perfect and that makes you perfect for each other. Through the rough times and questioning if its right or worth it, you always come up with the same conclusion that yes, it is.‘

Jaunty keys begin the track. Soultru’s husky vocal blends against his backing vocals as a steady beat kicks in. His voice adds an honesty and vulnerability to temper the bright, poppy melody. An artist to keep an eye on. - The House That Soul Built

Running in different circles, there comes a point when you never know what you’re going to come across. Sometimes it’s a scary thought and at others, pleasantly surprised by what’s in store. This time around it looks like it’s the latter.

Soultru is the moniker used by one Terrence Banks out of Davenport, Iowa. He’s been writing and recording music under the name for the better part of 4 years, to my knowledge anyway. He just released The Truth: An Acoustic EP. Yeah, it’s exactly that, as he straps on his acoustic guitar used as the backdrop to offer up sweet melodies. It is, after all, his soulful vocal delivery that draws listeners in time and time again. Soultru has provided backing vocals for others and here with The Truth, he’s bareboned and naked, allowing his voice to take prominence.

His voice is rooted in Soul and Gospel, which is clear from the very first note of “Black Eyed Peas,” a son with a country edge. But Soultru’s raspy soulfulness is what rises to the surface here. The song is an ode to his family, more specifically his grandmother. He weaves his story through words effortlessly and the imagery is surreal and close. There aren’t many that are able to work that magic like Damien Jurado, but Soultru does. “Come And Gone” does the same, as he wraps his words around the music, drawing on the past again that allows listeners to draw in close to the imagery of his story. I initially thought this release would be just vocals and guitar but damn if the man doesn’t change things up unexpectedly! As soon as the piano notes hit on “Must Be” I know he’s offering up something quite different. Yeah, really different. I took “acoustic” much too literal because for all intent and purpose, a piano is an acoustic instrument, as are drums, and acoustic/upright bass(?) But I digress. The song is masterful with its melody and inclusion of backing harmonies. Yes, comparisons are lazy and cheap but I keep thinking Soultru is reminiscent of the Screaming Eagle of Soul. A younger soul singer but with much more vibrancy in his voice, and that’s far from a stab at the Eagle. But the song, yes, it’s magic. This is everything anyone would want to hear, regardless of genre. It’s just that good.

I wasn’t sure what to expect here but The Truth: An Acoustic EP really is what it claims to be: open and direct, nothing flashy, only rawness. When was the last time you heard something like that? I’m sure you’d be hard-pressed trying to think of that but this IS the truth! - Ghettoblaster Magazine - Eddie Ugarte