Da’Lux Blaze “Turn the Lights On” album review

Independent (November 10, 2010)
Review by LaRosa

New Christian emcees seem to be a dime a dozen these days. Every other day there’s some new artist coming out vying for our attention & hard earned money. Da’Lux Blaze is a new artist to the scene, but he isn’t trying to sell us something; instead, he’s giving us his debut effort for free. He’s inviting the listener to listen to his album for free, with the hope that it’ll affect anyone who may listen to it. The name of Da’Lux Blaze’s album is aptly named Turn the Lights On!, since part of his stage name (Lux) is Latin for light.

In reading the information about this project, Da’Lux summarizes this album as part autobiography, part journal, part social commentary, and part call to action. That’s a lot to pack into an album, which is why the album sits at 17 tracks with a total running time of just over 77 minutes. With that as his goal, Turn the Lights On does a pretty good job of sharing personal stories (Know This), confronting issues that are covering this world in darkness (Voices), as well as encouraging the listener to look at the grace of God that comes through Jesus Christ (Light Shine Thru). The content is definitely where Da’Lux really shines on this album. His lyrics are thought provoking and well thought out, beckoning the listener to take some kind of action as they listen to this project.

While Da’Lux has a lot of good things to say on this album, it’s not without its flaws. One of the first things that you’ll notice in listening to this album is that it just feels long. I think this partly comes from the fact that nearly every song on the album is hovering around the 4 minute mark, along with a handful coming in at 5 minutes or longer. Combine that with a flow that can quickly become monotonous & not the greatest mastering effort, and you begin to see why the album feels like it just drags on in spots. Not to mention, some of the production is simply flat & uninspiring.

Overall, this album is a very worthy debut effort from an up & coming emcee. There are plenty of spots where Da’Lux’s talent really shines, but the album has its fair share of pitfalls too. I think with some more work at his craft, along with better production & mastering, Da’Lux Blaze could be really good. That being said, for this to be a free download, it’s definitely worth grabbing; so, visit his site & check it out for yourself. Also, know that if you do decide to support this album, funds will go toward relief & rebuilding efforts in Haiti.