Toby Lightman

“Little Things” (Lava)

Compare to: Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill

Toby Lightman’s vocals are melodic and talented, but there is nothing terrifically spectacular about them — her sound is simply an upbeat melancholy.

Her debut album is billed as pop rock, but she definitely leans more toward rock than pop, which is a relief.

Her music is made by actual musicians with actual talent.

Fortunately, her album is completely lacking the digitally produced, boxed sound pouring so profusely out of pop albums these days.

Listening to “Little Things,” it’s obvious Lightman had several strong musical influences guiding her creation of the album. “Front Row” has a soul-based R&B feel to it, while “Leave It Inside” has a ready rock beat.

The first few bars of “Devils and Angels” are reminiscent of “Hotel California.” If an artist is going to imitate another, the Eagles aren’t a bad choice. However, the rest of the tune bears no further resemblances.

The song’s lyrics are a story of discovering a cheating partner and reminiscing about relationships gone by: “‘Cause I used to have angels/ They used to watch over me/ When love was not a stranger/ But love ain’t what it used to be.”

“Everyday” is a folksy ballad about the search for self-identity: “Every day is a battle between what I want to know/ And what I don’t want to figure out/ And everything in between in these thoughts of mine.”

The 12 tracks were all written by Lightman, and the personal feeling of the album is obvious. They all contain very understandable lyrics.

Her first album is a commendable effort and leaves the door open for improvement. She gives the impression that she hasn’t revealed her full talents just yet, choosing rather to entice listeners and leave them wanting more.

— Sarah Kloewer

Joe Satriani

“Is There Love In Space” (Epic)

Compare to: Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Johnson

Joe Satriani has a reputation as one of the best guitarists in the world, and his new album, “Is There Love In Space?” further confirms it.

Satriani’s music is laced with crazy whammy bar solos, screaming choruses and complex rhythms stereotypical of his past works.

The album starts out with a strong riff under a whaling solo in “Gnaahh.” Satriani plays a crazy, elaborate solo as he works his fingers up and down the fretboard with unfaltering speed while he jerks around the whammy bar to give it that extra punch.

Satriani’s music typically features his guitar work and often has few lyrics, if any at all.

“Lifestyle,” one of the few tracks with words, is a strong track musically and vocally. Satriani uses a weird sound effect for his vocal track, which adds meaning to the album’s title.

The title track features incredibly fast soloing. Satriani shows his ability to make an Ibanez guitar sound like a phaser gun used in one of the old-school Star Trek movies.

The main guitar riffs under Satriani’s soloing are strong and driving. They sound like fist-pumping arena rock anthems. The heaviness is definitely there, and the soloing obviously adds a whole other dimension to his music.

The heaviness, however, stagnates slightly toward the end on “Just Look Up.” The music, apart from the soloing, sounds like something Kid Rock or Uncle Cracker would write, but the slower songs aren’t enough to steal the spotlight from Satriani’s phenomenal guitar work.

Satriani’s backup band, which features Matt Bissonette on bass, Galen Henson on rhythm guitar and Jeff Campitelli on drums, is one of the most solid and musically gifted group of musicians around. There is never a hint of poor musicianship from any of them.

Satriani has made a guitar album that can be called a classic in every sense of the word. “Is There Love In Space?” is an album everyone will love.

— Dan Hopper

Ben Kweller

“On My Way” (ATO)

Compare to: Ben Folds, Ben Lee, Death Cab for Cutie

T wenty-two-year-old Ben Kweller is maturing right in front of us, and his passion for the past is to blame.

For his second full-length album, “On My Way,” Kweller wanted nothing more than to take his sound back to the roots of rock ‘n’ roll. With the help of producer Ethan Johns, the singer/songwriter was able to fully accomplish this. Throwing out the headphones, Kweller and his band (bassist Josh Lattanzi, guitarist Mike Stroud and drummer Fred Eltringham) sat in a single room, listening to one another instead of listening to themselves through their headphones.

Another technique Kweller used in order to fully encompass a bare rock feel was laying his voice down with little or no overdubbing, delivering rough, unrestrained vocals.

The stripped-down process has proven strong for Kweller. Unlike 2002’s “Sha Sha,” “On My Way” emphasizes Kweller’s budding singer/songwriter skills instead of heavy alt-rock production. The album is less rambunctious then its predecessor, illustrating a laid-back, mature side of Kweller. The high spot of the disc, however, is how Kweller and Johns manage to keep the rock alive. Flashy guitar licks and loose drums combined with Kweller’s raw, cracking vocals keep the singer’s playfulness thriving.

Kweller has a knack for effectively morphing back and forth between highs and lows. The electric thrills of “Hospital Bed” and “I Need You Back” are contrasted by innocent piano pieces such as “Different But the Same” and “Living Life.”

On “The Rules,” blazing guitar licks and little spikes of bells accompany the roughness in Kweller’s vocals. A fiery electric solo midway through the song, however, is what really makes this track stand out.

Sprinkled throughout the album are charmingly crafted tunes where the young Kweller sings of his wife, his home and his confessions. On the title track, the singer takes a melancholic stroll, freeing a guilty mind.

“I want to kill this man, but he turned around and ran/ I’ll kill him with karate that I learned in Japan.” Not wasting anytime, Kweller slides back into a serious mode, producing charming adolescent lyrics.

“I’m in love with someone who’s as pretty as a flower/ Her life gives me power, so I’m buying her a ring.”

If this album is Kweller on his way, fans have quite the future to look forward to.

— Katie Piepel