David Cook's review-proof 'Light On' hits Web in time

David Cook's debut album is still months away, but his first single, "Light On," is out now and sure to be inescapable this holiday season, or at least until the next Daughtry song comes out. Cook's "Light On," in fact, is firmly in the Daughtry mode, albeit there's a little bit more stubble and gruffness in his voice.

It's full-on, cellphone-waving arena rock schmaltz, with husky, slow-moving guitars and a wallop of meaninglessly earnest vocals. Cook is undoubtedly straining his face red as he oh-so-desperately wails that the object of his affection "try to leave a light on when I’m gone / something I rely on to get home."

It begins with a slow-dance piano, but Cook soon obliterates it, over-singing as if he's bearing the weight of every bad love letter written in the past eight  years upon his back. Or like an "American Idol" winner trying to prove he's rock 'n' roll, if your first point of reference is Nickelback. But it's easily ignorable, and relatively inoffensively sensitive hard rock, and as Idolator predicted -- without even hearing it -- it'll be a soundtrack for shopping malls and drugstores all winter long. 

The song has a bevy of star power behind it, and hits iTunes this week, making the single eligible for Grammy voting, meaning it will get nominated. Some grungy, Soundgarden-like guitars are definitely present in the cut, and co-writing credits go to Soundgarden/Audioslave's Chris Cornell, who picks up right where Audioslave's "Revelations" left off. But the more telling credit goes to Brian Howes, who has written for Daughtry, Puddle of Mudd and Hinder, and Cook is aiming for somewhere in the middle of all of that.

Photo: Associated Press / Fox

Comments

[Rockergirl77]

I'm disappointed. David Cook has done nothing different than what he did week after week on American Idol - cover someone else's song. This song has Chris Cornell's stamp all over it... nothing new or original from Cook at all is in this song. If you listen closely, this song songs like a mix of Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun and Daughtry and Nickelback thrown in for good measure... Why not just title the song Cook sings Chris Cornell... Badly.

[Sandy Simmons]

Dude, I don't know what you were listening to but it's a killer tune. Maybe you should listen again.

[Nancy]

Are you still sulking that little David did not win?! I remember your snide comments back then,you still sound hostile! lol Seriously,I love his voice and I think he sounds great,sorry.

[Jen]

"...over-singing as if he's bearing the weight of every bad love letter written in the past eight years upon his back."

Yes, he does sing it with great emotion, but that's what makes the song so brilliant.

[Annie]

Boy are you grumpy tonight! It is a great song, lots of different sounds in Cook's voice, lots of nice layers of instruments. It is a different sound than Analog Heart, a little more on the pop side. Listen, in these grim times, I'm all for somebody who can sitr your soul (and your female body parts) like David Cook can.

[Tim]

I think you're being a little harsh -- could David Cook have produced anything that you would've liked? I doubt it -- he has the taint of American Idol on him, so whatever he produces will be panned by critics.

To be honest with you, I was thinking, "Hey, this actually doesn't suck." It's not legendary material, but it's not as bad as a lot of the crap on the radio these days. At least it has some melody. And at least it sounds like he's really trying not to suck, and not just capitalize on his notoriety.

[Galaxy]

I disagree. See you at the Grammy's.

[Scott]

Todd... I just hope you will give the whole album a fair listen. Not that I think you're being unfair here - I just think the song is a lot better than that. In fact I'm kind of embracing it. I suspect the other tracks on this album will be quite different... it will be a cohesive album but versatile and diverse. David will surely put more of his imprint on the other tracks written and co-written by him He needs a hit out of the gate and this will do it. I am happy about that. I'm a huge fan and will take David Cook any way I can get him. This is a much, much better way than Time of My Life.

[TL]

Yuck, this is not what I expected from David Cook at all. Totally sucky and generic. Whatever that wow factor was that he had on the show doesn't really translate into the real radio world for me. The main thing that was unique about him was how he switched up popular 80's tunes. For a song like this, there is nothing to hide behind and that just leaves average vocals and overproduced pseudo-rock. He should have stuck with something a bit more stripped down that could show off his vocals. American Idol is still a singing competition after all. Oh well, I'm sure Archie will conquer the pop world so the show won't lose all it's cred.

[Holly]

Actually, I thought it was pretty good.

[mae]

song sucks for a first sinigle out of the gate

[Shereeda]

i think it's gonna be a hit.. it's very catchy..

[Gina]

I think this is a beautiful song that shows Cook's amazing range and raw power. I can't stop listening to it and I don't want to. Give me MORE!!!

[Mar]

I do not like it. It sounds so 80s with a synthesized-like sounding guitar. The synthesized guitar sounds like Def Leppard's Love Bites. The entire song sounds so processed rather than raw. Cook can do a lot better than this considering that we waited a long time for this single to come out. He is following the path of Bo Bice with the older sounding tunes which will not work. He is only targeting the old women who remembered the 80s with this song. Why are you changing your tune and style now? The band sounds so cheap, so unreal and so processed. Get a REAL band playing with Cook. Please do better Cook, I know you can. Make the right decisions, please.

[Tom]

Um, no. I don't like this song at all. Why so shouty David Cook? Calm it down a little bit and try singing. That's why we voted for you after all.

[Derek]

I'm a bit disappointed. I like David Cook but I don't like the song. think that what made Cook so good on American Idol is that he turned catchy pop songs into rock sounding songs. Hello may have been covered by Chris Cornwell but Hello was first and foremost a pop song by Lionel Richie. Light On is just a bad 80's hair metal song. It lacks an interesting hook and totally lacks originality -- originality being something else Cook showed on Idol. I'll probably still download it but the album better be a LOT better.

[Liv]

Todd, "meaninglessly" is not a word. (rolls eyes at poor writing skills of todays youth) That's the sort of expression a third grader would use.

[YankeeFan]

I couldn't disagree more with the review. I love the song. It's going to be a huge hit for David. I have been listening to it all day. It has a great hook. I can't wait to hear the rest of the album. Good job David! So proud of you!

[WWP]

LOL…I have to agree with the Mr. Grumpy-Crankypants comments! And yes, regular readers knew there wasn't a chance the blogger would like anything Cook did, which is fine, the blogger is entitled to hold his prejudices to close to his heart as anyone else is--we all do that.

I like both David Cook and David Archuleta. Each guy has a a different sound and since consumers ARE actually allowed to own more than one CD people are free to buy either, both, or neither.

I've heard both singles and like both for different reasons. Sometimes I want a harder edge and sometimes I'm feeling more mellow -- it's just that simple. This isn't a election for the leader of the free world, it's music. And I buy different music for the same reason I order different items off a menu, something suits my mood at a particular time.

As for what I was expecting from Cook, having actually listened to the songs he wrote on his earlier albums, both with his old group Axium and his solo album, I have to say that this single is much in line with the writing I've heard on those works. Therefore, this new song is much what I expected to hear (just with better production values!)

But I appreciate that Cook, like David Archuleta, will be struggling to find their way in a new environment and of course, neither will bat .1000 each time they step to the plate. But hey, at least they're trying -- that's where the artistry is -- it's in the trying.

[Indyfan]

I think this songs makes for a good transition between the coronation song and the type of song David was doing before Idol. I fully expect that the album will contain some purely Cook-written songs to go with the announced collaborations.

To Rockergirl77, the word cover cannot be correctly applied to this situation. This is simply a song written by someone else, as it was never released by any other singer, nor do I think it was even recorded by anyone before, including Cornell. Most people on the radio sing songs by someone else, but we are not always aware of it. The fact he did not write it should not be a slam on the song, in and of itself. He is, in fact, a gifted songwriter, which will be more apparent when he releases something of his own.

[kim]

The only critique Cook needs is the one that somebody's $.99 or $9.99 one that buys his CD's and you know. There are gonna be millions of them!

[Sara]

wow bitter much...i loved the song just what i wanted from the "winner"

[ACookFan]

I love Cook. But ... I'm not impressed with this song. Cook's vocals and ability to bring something fresh and edgy to tired older pop and rock songs was what I loved about him. Think Eleanor Rigby, Always be my Baby, Hello. But this, this is just an over processed 80's ballad with no originality. I could hear Aerosmith singing this, Van Halen ...etc. I expected something different. I know he's got to make it commercial, but ironically what I loved the most about him was how he wasn't commercial. He was gritty with amazing vocals that didn't tend towards the processed sound. Maybe, it was just over produced?

[sw]

david did justice to these lirics.cook has his own unique sound. they are going to compare him to daughtry but they still have a different sound. this song is great.this blogger hates the guts out of cook i dont think you really versed on cretiquing music.leave it to the professionals.what do you mean by over singing.for the record i dont take you serious. .

[docmom]

Who cares what the critics say? They never pay for of their music. In fact, why does "The Times" pay them? I'll be paying for Cook's first album and so will many others.