Lydia's new album Illuminate first caught my attention as an immediate top seller on Amazon, only three days after being released. Seeing as their last record was recorded close to three years prior, I was under the assumption that Lydia was all run-dry of ideas. After giving them a listen, however, I've discovered this is far from the truth.

The first song, "This Is Twice Now" sets the stage for the album as a whole. Starting off with a melodic piano riff and ending as a vocal masterpiece, the song proves the bandÕs worth. The following tracks exceed the one prior and each have a unique and well-established sound. Illuminate exhibits a creative and different sounding Lydia that I've personally grown to love.

Other songs, such as "Stay Awake" and "Ha Yeah It Got Pretty Bad" show the diversity of their sound and consist of mind blowing, yet soothing, vocals.

The album, overall, came as a surprise to me. In comparison to This December; It's One More and I'm Free, the new album had a new well-defined sound, but still maintained the same base and style. I strongly recommend Illuminate and I applaud Lydia on the success of their new album.

Reviewed by Justin