I don’t know quite what to think of T.J. Courtney. Even with a first listen to the rock artist’s new EP, Into The Sky, one would be hard pressed not to find similarities in his delivery to modern-day acts such as Nickelback, Daughtry, and the like – turn on any mainstream rock radio station, that’s what you’re getting with Courtney – although with perhaps a bit more of a grungy tinge. And, for a young artist, the sound on the record is actually quite tight, well produced, and crisp-sounding.Still, that may be just my issue with this particular collection of songs. Although there’s a certain crunch to Courtney’s music that harkens back to the alternative acts of the mid-to-late nineties, the mix rarely strays too far from its decidedly glossy core. There’s angst in Courtney’s message - with talent to back it up - but it’s all decisively hidden beneath the polish of the album’s final delivery. If Courtney were to embrace the raw roots that occasionally creep to the forefront on Into The Sky, I certainly believe we’d have ourselves a winner and a formidable alternative player to boot.