Band: Lydia
Album: Illuminate
Genre: Indie
Label: Linc Star Records

Tracks:
1. This is Twice Now
2. A Fine Evening For A Rogue
3. I Woke Up Near The Sea
4. Hospital
5. Fate
6. Sleep Well
7. Stay Awake
8. All I See
9. One More Day
10. …Ha Yeah It Got Pretty Bad
11. Now The One You Once Loved is Leaving

Lullabies filled with the soft sounds of meaningful relationships; gently and slowly touching the dreams you once wish came true. The weight of the world can sometimes drive these relationships apart and the album demonstrates the challenge of love, trust and hope.

This is exactly what I was thinking and feeling when I finished listening to Lydia’s fresh new album Illuminate. Never before has indie rock been flashed with such a fragile and melodic group such as Lydia. Their powerful lyrics of love from afar in the song “Hospital” and break-ups gone array in “Sleep Well” are crafted elegantly. The lyrics in the song “All I See” encompass what the disc is about; “But you are the never ending sleep” clearly touches on the fact that love and lost is the clear motif of the album. The sheer ambiguity of this statement is beautifully vague and evokes a variety of intense emotions.

The three guitars gently stream and carefully tie the choruses together perfectly while vocalist/guitarist Leighton Antelman spills his heart through each track never missing a beat. His voice reminded of a young Anthony Green (without the harsh screaming) while personifying the iconic and melodic rhythms of The Moody Blues and Pink Floyd. This Arizona sextet consists of lead vocalist and talented guitarist Leighton Antelman, keyboardist/backup vocalist Mindy White, guitarists Steve McGraw and Ethan Koozer, bassist Jed Dunning and drummer Craig Taylor.

The reason I am so entertained by this album is due to the cohesiveness that each song has to the next. This album feels like a theatrical production that I am watching through a textured screen cloth. The spectacle of introspective lyrics and delicate melodies coursing with Mindy White’s accompaniment of keyboard, singing and harmonies is totally reviving. Her voice is best utilized on the harsh reality of a one-night stand revisited on “Now The One You Once Loved Is Leaving”. Her voice reminiscent of Annie Lennox mixed gently with Greta Salpeter from the Hush Sound.

Illuminate is vital proof and demonstrates how this genre is being stretched to expand the horizons of the modern listener. I definitely recommend putting Illuminate by Lydia on your artist radar list and adding it to your collection. Watch out for Lydia in this new and promising year of music.

*Written By: Grant Trimboli*
Grade: 9/10

• Author
• Recent Posts

James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

Latest posts by James Shotwell (see all)

• 2015’s Most Underrated Films - December 29, 2015
• Passing The Torch: The End Of An Era For UTG - December 1, 2015
• UTG PREMIERE: Before The Streetlights – “Private Browser” - November 26, 2015