Review Date: 11/22/13
Review By: Angel Journey
Release Date: 10/1/13
Rating: 4.5/5
With their fourth studio release under Dream Records, Press Play continues to deliver contagious beats and powerful lyrics with their newest album, #LITO. The line-up has changed slightly since the last album, with David Hanley and Jonathan Thulin continuing to provide the lead male vocals, and Nicole Croteau replacing lead female vocalist Sada Jackson. As with their previous album, World Anthem, Jonathan Thulin’s brother and renowned DJ/producer David Thulin provides his production and song writing skills.
Kicking it off with the album’s title track, “#LITO” brings out a highly danceable pulse that’ll continue throughout most of the album. The title is a socially savvy embrace of the phrase “love in the open” and the following lyrics are a great snippet of the thesis the band wants to express throughout the album: “Life is a dance floor, and your song could be the base and beat. Love’s like a rhythm, cause without it nothing seems in key.”
With “Force of Nature” and “Love Audio,” the dance party continues as you bounce through lyrics conveying how God’s love is both powerful and worry free. “Song for the Broken” provides a breather as the tempo slows and the lyricism shines. The song is a rallying cry for the times we feel “so out of place and don’t belong” and invites us to a place of hope and love.
We jump right back into the club with “Snap a Picture” as the tune embraces today’s culture of sharing our lives via every social medium one can find. With a hard bass beat, this track easily induces a jump-heavy good time. “Top of the World” is a slower piece showcasing the trio’s talented voices and how excellently they blend together. The words are a prayer of worship reflecting how God’s love does indeed place us on top of the world but also how that position easily provides us with a place to spread that love.
“Android” explodes with heavy synths and unique sounds and by the time the chorus hits, the EDM vibe is back in full swing. The song is a clever shout-out to those who might feel robotically stuck in the numbness of life, and to replace that emptiness with something more fulfilling. One of the calmest tracks, “I Can Breathe,” is rich in beautiful imagery and vocals which will empower anyone with hope. This is shown beautifully through the lyric “I know your scars and they remind me I can see.”
Next, in “Wonder Struck,” we enter a wonderful electro-house atmosphere. Filled with euphoric synths and heart thumping beats, mixed with brilliant lyricism, this track is certainly one of the strongest on the record. “I Choose” is a convicting bit of writing that depicts the struggle everyone faces between God’s love and evil. Add in the hard-hitting rhythm that really helps drive the message home and one can’t help but pause and reflect.
The last two tracks showcase David Thulin’s remix skills as he reworks “NY2LA” from the band’s self-titled album of 2010, and “#LITO.” Before the album’s release, the band hosted a remix contest for “#LITO” that was won by DJ J-3 (Check out his amazing club banger here). They are currently holding a remix contest for the rest of the album and you can find out more here.
What started out as a worship band back in 2000, has now turned into an electro-pop project that continues to make waves in the CCM scene. The group took an 11 day shut-in to record #LITO and, with this group of highly skilled artists, they delivered a dance-tastic and inspirational record which is richly deserving of the 4.5/5 rating.
#LITO is one of the best Christian albums of 2013 and, if you are yet to purchase your copy, you can remedy that by picking up your copy from these, and other fine digital & marketplace retailers:
itunes | AmazonMP3
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