The time of his life

Many who watched “American Idol” last season probably thought David Cook would become the next Chris Daughtry. If you were one of those people, you were correct.

Although the “Idol” winner has a similar style to Daughtry, he brings his own personal touch to the pop-rock mix. With help from producers Rob Cavallo and Brian Howes, Cook creates a melodic sheen that is a perfect fit for his husky vocals. The emotion and expressiveness in Cook’s voice is perfect for his self-titled debut’s booming anthems like “Light On” and “Declaration.”

For an initial, post-“Idol” release, Cook really does deliver. His husky, distinct voice powers each track, and all of them are what everyone who watched him on “Idol” was waiting for.

While rock songs like “Declaration” show his strong resemblance to the aforementioned Daughtry, others like “Time of my Life” present a softer sound. Cook’s ability to switch back and forth will give his fans exactly what they want.

Though most tracks follow the same simple verse-chorus-verse structure, Cook’s strong vocals keep them from being completely boring. The more popular of these songs are “Bar-ba-sol” and “Mr. Sensitive,” which have an anthem-like energy that makes the repetitious pattern not as noticeable.

Cook’s appearance on “American Idol” may drive comparisons between him and Chris Daughtry, but his more distinct voice and personal vocals make this a strong debut and one of the better initial releases from an “Idol” competitor.