Lovelite - Nearness
Record Label: Come&Live!
Release Date: October 5, 2010
Following up their full-length debut All Color, Lovelite had something to live up to. Creating such a wonderful record such as their first sets the bar, which is true for pretty much anything; not just music. Lovelite’s aim, as written in their biography, is to “inspire praise in the hearts of God’s people…through music….by writing alternative rock songs inspired by the truth of God’s Word that are simple in structure…(Emphasis mine)” With their latest full-length Nearness, Lovelite has undersold themselves quite a bit, considering the source.
Nearness is anything but simple. However, it is certainly inspiring and soothing to the core; Andrew and Jen Polfer have not lost their harmonic touch; not one bit. Their voices still sound like a glimpse of heaven, mixed in with some down-to-earth shattering measures. Their approach doesn’t exemplify simplicity, but yet transcends the simple into something not-so-easily replicable. Lovelite, along with many of their fellow Come&Live! Records contemporaries, have a tendency to oppose the norm of Christian music, and choose to spread their message in a much more non-traditional manner. This is no run-of-the-mill worship record. In fact, all you have to do is change the lyrics, and it most certainly would fill the cravings of any Euro-indie fan; secular or not.
The record itself is only eight songs, which is probably its main and only dire negative, but these songs are well-crafted. Nearness is just as reverent as their debut, but more musically adept. Right from the start, with the first track “Apathy”, Lovelite set the stage. The track begins with a hauntingly transient organ, and then jumps into a rocking start-stop instrumental intro, along with Jen Polfer’s beautiful voice settling in the background, making for a remarkable start to a remarkable album. The record then slows down a bit with “Brevity”, and Andrew makes his best lyrical statement towards the end of the track “Weakness is a gift of truth, Lighting desperate need of You.”
While this isn’t normally something I include in reviews, I’d like to commend the beautiful cover-art, which most certainly depicts the visual representation of the album. The color mixture is quite pleasing, with a catatonic form of eye-flattery. The painting itself seems to resemble God’s hands holding a crystal ball with a man pictured very far away; possibly meaning that God is in control, and is always watching over us. Nearness represents the musical artistry of such a beautiful message, and while the record may be shelved into a genre reputed for its artistic irrelevance, maybe Lovelite’s work will help change this perspective.
This is a very good record. It's grown on me immeasurably. Nearness is probably my favourite track due to the melodies and the lyrics. Nice to see the cover art mentioned. I hadn't really considered it but what you have written has really opened my eyes. And, finally, I'd agree with you in the fact that I believe the album is one or two tracks short. But still, it's a pretty incredible listen!
This is a very good record. It's grown on me immeasurably. Nearness is probably my favourite track due to the melodies and the lyrics. Nice to see the cover art mentioned. I hadn't really considered it but what you have written has really opened my eyes. And, finally, I'd agree with you in the fact that I believe the album is one or two tracks short. But still, it's a pretty incredible listen!
Thanks for the compliment!
And I agree with every point. My favorite track would have to be "Brevity", but "Nearness" is great, too. This is a solid follow-up to All Color.
Good review, agree about the cover art. It's definitely fitting for the music inside. I'd say the album is really strong in the first half but with only 8 tracks I was disappointed that the last one was a 2-minute throw away outro. This should at least have 2 more songs I think. Still, great stuff that I've been listening to regularly this past week since buying it.
Yeah I'm not sure if this record is trying to be an EP or a full-length, and the only disappointing thing for me is the number of short albums coming out of Come&Live, and I hope it doesn't hint at the practical limits of their donation-based business model.
But these tracks are definitely growing on me. The instrumentation is weird and not what I usually listen to, but it's not unpleasant... Sometimes the guitars and drums remind me of that old-school almost-jazzy Coldplay.
Browse Reviews
Write a Review
Alphabetized Listing
Popular Reviews
Best New Music
View Profile Picture
Currently Playing
View Signature
Posts: 187
View Blog
Follow This Review
More Reviews By This Author