Welcome to Daylight

Texas-based Christian quartet Luminate’s sophomore album Welcome to Daylight celebrates new beginnings in bold sonic colors. The dynamic interplay of British and American pop/rock elements that gave the band’s debut such a distinctive character are again on display, along with a lyric sensibility that acknowledges human weakness while striving for a closer walk with God. Fans will notice a greater synthesizer presence in the arrangements, bolstering Samuel Hancock’s fervent vocals and Cody Clark’s aggressive guitar lines. Aaron Matthew’s martial drumwork sets the pace for “Wake Up,” a spiritual rallying-cry that serves as the keynote for the album. A rippling electronica groove lends “Holds Us All Together” a dramatic flow, contrasting with the yearning acoustic balladry of “Battle for Peace.” Whether they’re probing a troubled marriage (“Heal This Home”) or rebuking the Devil to his face (“This Ends Tonight”), Hancock and his bandmates deal with issues of faith in immediate, visceral terms. First track to last, Luminate infuses Welcome to Daylight with a defiant joy built upon the promise of redemption.