Luminate present a passionate musical experience in their latest album, Welcome to Daylight, that helps to elevate what could've been simply listenable pop/rock tunes to very enjoyable and memorable anthems. I went into this expecting some average pop/rock and was presently surprised at the earnestness in the lyrics and melody and the catchiness of the music.

 

The industrial sounds blend well with the light rock sound, helping to really make the listener take notice. The urgent opener (and title track, "Welcome to Daylight") is packed with a singable chorus and an infectious hook and this formula seems to play well throughout the album. "Banner of Love" is a passionate cry to action for Christians. Whether it's some of the more upbeat rock-driven songs like "Never Give Up" and "This Ends Tonight" (which sounds like the soundtrack to a western showdown), or softer and more uplifting ballads like "Heal This Home" and "Love is Loud," the music is forever soaring and really makes the music insanely likable.

 

The album touches on many themes relevant to Christians. For example, "Banner of Love" opens with: "There's a fight between my heart and soul / When my pride tries to take control / It's hard to see what I was meant to be." "This Ends Tonight" militantly stands up to the devil as it claims, "You're never going to take me out."

"Heal This Home" offers hope to those living in broken families: "When it feels like there's no way to fix what's wrong/love is strong/and God can heal this home." Each track title actually gives a good idea as to what the song will be about, and none of the topics are alien to most Christian rock, but that predictability doesn't detract from the overall enjoyability of the music or the relevancy of the lyrics. 

 

There's not really a bad track in the album. It flows well and never gets boring. The music is just plain good, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this release.

 

There really is a lot to like here: strong lyrics, catchy hooks, soaring choruses, memorable melodies, and spine-tingling music. There's really not much I found to dislike at all. It may not be the best release of the year, but it's really, really good. Hopefully it'll give Luminate a platform to make a name for themselves and they can do even better on their next album. I'll definitely be paying attention to them more after this; that's for sure.