"At last, something original to listen to! Todd Royce is his own entity and his guitar (and the two excellent musicians aiding him) speaks rich and textured volumes. The songs are musically sound and yet not pop enough to absorb them all with one listen. This is smart music that requires intelligent listening. Do yourself a favor and pretend that the lyrics did not come with the CD. It is ultimately more rewarding listening when, like the words of Michael Stipe, the lyrics are music in their own right to be discovered on their own terms. Unlike Stipe, you can actually understand what Royce is singing and saying. I'm not a huge fan of the "concept" album, but Royce can be forgiven because he stays true to himself and the personal truth of his message. It's a gut wrenching delivery seasoned with a hopeful spirit. A journey most of us know all to well. We all need to step into the light sooner or later. By the end of the CD, the songs do not end. As the last note fades, it requires us to inquire of ourselves as to what ours or Royce's next journey will be. Todd Royce has stepped into the spotlight with this CD. I hope he receives the attention and accolades due him so he may continue his musical odyssey."

-Dan from Myrtle Beach, SC (amazon.com customer)

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"Step Into the Light" is a debut CD from a hugely talented guitarist who is also a wonderful songwriter and singer. He and the band can really slam it home with maturity and unbridled energy, and they prove it beyond a shadow of doubt on this disc. His songs remind me of Cream, and there's a taste of jazz too. The lyrics deal with the human psyche and, more characteristic of songs in rock, blues, and pop; relationships. But Royce's songs tend to be more about his relationship to the world, life, death, personal growth, and his own life choices. The songs are a comfort to anyone who has struggled with that stuff. Written mostly in the first person, you can sing or yell along as if you wrote the words yourself. This is a great album for anybody looking for some deeply felt and thoughtful songs, but is also quite a gem for fans of serious, serious (and unusually strong) guitar playing.

I guess my only criticism would be that most of the songs on the CD come in at four minutes or so. Because I've seen Todd Royce Band live there are spots on the CD where I would really like to hear them take off for a good three or four minute solo. The CD is utterly worth hearing and buying."

-Brad Kessel, New Hampshire (amazon.com customer)

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I'm too poor to have a CD player in my car so I dropped the album on tape and "Step into the Light" has been in my vehicle ever since. Perhaps the best way to describe the album is to say my favorite track has changed seven times. Somehow, it's better than I expected. And I expected a lot.

-Jamie Meyer, New Jersey (cdbaby.com customer)

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As a professional musician for more than 26 years, I've become more than a little jaded, so when I received a copy of "Step Into the Light" I planned on listening to one song and then going about my day. Instead, as the track began, my mate and I were transfixed by the beauty and richness of the first song; and then the next, and the next, and, well..you get the idea. "Step Into the Light" is a sort of history of the authors' emotional life, starting with the opening cut, "Slow Change", which addresses his youth and concluding with the final track, where he decides to "Step Into the Light". The songs all have unique melody lines that can twist and turn but somehow remain burned in the listener's brain.
The lyrics are profound and clever (when was the last time you heard the word "nomenclature" residing comfortably in a song lyric?) and they address contemporary life. In "Waves", my personal favorite, the urban working world is summed up in the three words "concrete and caffeine" sung over a rich bed of guitar sounds and exotic chords that somehow evoke some of my past musical loves; Cream, Led Zeppelin, Robert Cray. Another gem of a song, "Man Gone Missing", perhaps Royce's darkest, asks the question etched on every milk carton: "Have You Seen Me?" Aside from the brilliant song writing and the technical excellence of the recording, I was struck by Royce's use of guitar; he has a rich garden of varied and unique guitar sounds that feel three dimensional; as one who often ignores guitar in general, I felt absolutely enmeshed in his fascinating tones and sounds- it really made me love the instrument, and Royce is clearly a master player.

In short, I think "Step Into the Light" is a masterpiece. In an era when music has been reduced to an ever shrinking formula, it's wonderful to hear contemporary music that is so imaginative, so original and yet so universal. I'm giving a copy to every one of my [also musical and musically jaded] family members so that they can be as excited as I am. I can't think of a better gift!

-Cynthia Lyon, Northford, CT