Main Review
The five piece Texas-based pop/rock act Luminate enters the music scene with their self-titled Sparrow Records debut.
“Spirit of Love” co-written by one of my favorite songwriters and producers; Allen Salmon, gets the album started in the
right direction. It’s a bright beautiful song about asking for the Holy Spirit to manifest his presence.
“Shine (Love is an Action)” a pop/rock anthem co-written by Ed Cash, (another one of my personal favorites) is a call to the
church of God to spread the love of Jesus, to make love more than an emotion; an action.
“My God” is my very favorite on the album. It starts off with the story of the prodigal son and his return, but by the chorus it’s
a simple worship song: (My God, my God/What mercy You have shown me/My God, my God/Forever I will praise Thee…) I
absolutely love everything about this song. We’ve all heard our fair share of prodigal son songs, but there’s something
about this one that’s a breath of fresh air. The music and lyrics just fit so perfectly. This is where the uniqueness of Sam
Hancock’s vocals really shines.
“Hear Our Cry” was written by the band from a personal experience. It was written during a time of confusion when they
forgot to seek God’s will and instead tried to follow their own, something every Christian faces at some point. For anyone
(and I think that goes for everyone) who has ever forgotten at one time or another to ask God if this is what He wants for us
and we just jump into something we shouldn't, this is a nice reminder that we are not alone in making that mistake. And
when we do, God is always there, always ready to come in, forgive us and make everything right again.
“Fearlessly” ends the album on a high note. It's about not being afraid or ashamed, but putting your faith in God and living
the life that He wants you to live. To live the life that you were meant to lead, to live fearlessly.
Songs like “Spirit of Love,” “Shine (Love is an Action)” and “My God” are warm and uplifting. I instantly wanted to stand up
and just praise the Lord when I heard them. Lyrically they're not anything we haven't heard before, but there’s something
about the emotion and passion in Sam Hancock’s voice and the music... The music, it's nothing phenomenal but it just
makes you feel so good! You can't help but lift your hands and praise the Lord when you hear these songs.
While songs like “Miracle” and “Hear Our Cry” are softer cries to God when you're at your lowest point in life. I admit I didn't
like these songs quite as much as I liked the first three songs of the album but emotionally they still pack a punch that is
sure to hit hard.
Closing Thoughts
Although Sam Hancock’s vocals sound similar to other male vocalists at times, there was uniqueness to it at some
points ("Shine" and "My God") that I would love to hear more of in the future. Nowadays it takes a lot to stand out; I don't
think they'll be the biggest or best new artist of the year but I did enjoy their music and look forward to a full length album.
Overall: Great message, uplifting, simple worshipful lyrics and light feel good music.
Review Written By: Rebecca Rycross [rebecca.rycross@christianmusicreview.org] on 3/12/2010
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