As much flack as MTV and VH1 receive for their lack of music related programming, I have to admit that without them, I wouldn't have discovered a large portion of the artists that I listen to. I know, I extol the virtues of internet artist shopping in seemingly every review, but before I knew of all the wonders of the web, I was a huge You Oughta Know/You Hear it First aficionado. Carefully watching the various news segments that appeared in the final commercial break of the hour opened up a world of articulate lyricism, strong melodies, and true artistic strength.
I was introduced to Toby Lightman during an MTV News break in the early 2000s, ahead of the release of her debut album. I was immediately drawn to her style and jotted the name down. Though Lightman is now an independent artist (she has her own T Killa Records imprint), her music still gives me that same type of reaction, as her identity has yet to be compromised by the name of the company that employs her. Milk and Honey feels like mid-to-late 90s r&b, which is the style that suits Lightman's expressive voice the best. Laidback with a very easy delivery, it harkens back to some of her prior material without being a carbon copy. It may be a bit of a lyrical mixed bag, but it's an interesting piece of the record and shows yet another potential genre for the surprisingly versatile Lightman to slip into. I appreciate songs like Take My Hand more the older I get. As much as I enjoy a dramatic ballad or mindless uptempo, there's nothing like a simple love song with a pretty melody, which is Hand in a nutshell. There's nothing dramatic or too different about the song, but it's pleasant, breezy, and guaranteed to make you smile. It's the type of Stax-influenced midtempo that Sheryl Crow had on her most recent album, but Lightman is succinct, honest, and more comfortable in the style. I'm Gonna Break His Heart fits in with the current trend of 60s influenced soul music (this is more VV Brown than Amy Winehouse, though I could imagine Winehouse on here easily) and is probably the catchiest listen on the record. A brief burst of pace with a decent amount of sass, this is a kiss off song that's a complicated anthem for the inadvertent player; it has the strange ability to sound tongue in cheek and fully genuine in the same three minutes. Regardless of intent, it's a total earworm and a nice bit of tempo on a mostly midtempo album.
Let Go is a barer listen that's KT Tunstall-esque with the looser percussion and clap-heavy verses (it's in the same condominium as Black Horse and a Cherry Tree). Reliant on Lightman's attitude, it has this down home swagger to it that's rather infectious. This is the type of track that could have been too cutesy or lightweight without the proper vocal, but Lightman gives a little knowing wink with each flirty line. The track could have even benefitted from more scaled down production to make it have more of an immediate impact. So Natural has a feel good stroll to it that opens the record on such a positive note (in terms of energy); Lightman may be able to inhabit the darker material and make it have more depth than it originally would have had, but she simply beams on this barbecue-ready two-step. Golden toned and sounding like a vintage soul record, it's the type of music that may not be getting made as much these days, but that makes it presence that much more welcome. Lazy actually made me stop what I was doing to fully pay attention, as it explores jazz music with solid results. It feels more authentic that you would think since the vibe isn't that far off from what she normally sings. With some thick strings and howling background vocals, it sets the romantic atmosphere well. This isn't the most original topic in the world (it's about shutting the world out when you're with your significant other), but the presentation is deliciously vampy and slyly realistic.
Let Go may not be as heavily r&b tinged as her debut album, but that doesn't mean that Lightman is lacking in any type of soul. With a distinctive point of view and a whole lot of personality, the whimsical blonde brings forth nine tracks of love, indecision, and authenticity. Though I tend to like albums with a couple more tracks, Let Go feels extremely complete. I would love to see people like Toby receive the attention that they deserve, but hearing new music from her is reward enough. Now if only the music channels would follow up on their discoveries...
0 comments:
Post a Comment