The Little Things tend to make life beautiful

Little Things

Toby Lightman

Lava Records

Rocks… Little Things

Toby Lightman

Lava Records

Rocks Like: Sheryl Crow with an R’B twist

With a voice much bigger than her 93-pound body, Toby Lightman brings her acoustic songwriting with an R’B flair to audiences with her debut album, Little Things. As seen on MTV’s “You Hear It First,” her talent has caught the eyes of music stations and music critics alike.

Lightman started building her musical talents by learning to play the violin. Her classical skills give her an understanding of music and sounds that are played with on her debut album. Using her influences, which include artists like Etta James, Stevie Wonder and Crosby, Stills and Nash, Little Things is an energetic, groove-ridden album, touched with heartfelt songwriting to prove the lasting talent of this 25-year-old.

The first thing that catches your attention about Toby Lightman is the strength and versatility of her voice. It’s soft and soothing while crooning the ballad “Frightened,” and soulful and spunky in some songs, such as her debut single “Devils and Angels” and the upbeat “Running Away”.

Then, the songwriting draws you in. The songwriting is simple and heartfelt. She approaches music with a “real” attitude. It’s not overly sappy or melancholic, just simple and down to earth. It touches on subjects, as always, of love, while keeping a positive outlook, like in the song “The River,” in which she encourages one to take a look around and enjoy the life they are thrown into: “Now the choice is yours/Are you in or are you gonna back out?/Well this is your life baby/Are you gonna take a look around?”

It’s an album that avoids the angst-filled mainstream, and opens up a positive perspective on love, life and loss. From the simple strumming of her guitar to her intimate performances of each of her songs, she is more authentic than most pop artists today. Even in her album notes, she thanks her ex-boyfriends for giving her inspiration and strength, which is not something a girl usually likes to admit.

Her maturity both musically and emotionally is in every note and word of this album and makes Toby Lightman’s Little Things a stimulation of hope that other female artists like Alicia Keys, Joss Stone and Norah Jones have started in the music world.