Posted: June 26, 2008

Nashville, TN – June 26, 2008 – Esterlyn’s first hit song, “We All Need,” has hit national TV airwaves. From its video broadcasts on major outlets such as JCTV, One-Cubed, TVU, The Zone, even MTV’s Latino America, the music video debuted just two weeks ago on FUSE TV’s On Demand channel, one the most popular music channels in the country. “We All Need” was filmed in 20 locations over a three-day span around Boise, Idaho, the hometown of Esterlyn. Be sure to check out the video at esterlyn.com.

Playing 200 concert dates this year alone, this talented four-piece band, led by frontman Luke Caldwell, has been building their fan base for several years, primarily within the Calvary Chapel system where Caldwell was a youth pastor for four years. With their Rooster Records’ February 26th debut CD Lamps, their intelligent pop music is continuing to make huge waves while they tour nationwide as headliners, as an opener for bands such as Stellar Kart and Kutless, as well as appear at major music festivals. Esterlyn will appear in front of thousands on The Creation Tour, one of the biggest tours this fall, which will hit in over 30 markets.

“…thanks in part to the band’s intelligent songwriting, it…stands out among the many similar acts in Christian rock…expect it to gain broader distribution within the year, and rightfully so…”
-Christian Music Today/ChristianityToday.com

“[Lamps] The result is an impressive foray into Christian indie rock…give them props for doing it better than most.”
-AllMusicGuide.com

Be sure to check out an interview with the band on Indie Vision Music
(go there >)

“No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead he puts it on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 15, 16

Review from Soul-Audio.com
Rating: 9 / 10
There are artists, and then there are artists—Esterlyn would be the latter. To elaborate, some songwriters/musicians sport their credentials like it’s a greater testament to their worth than simply crafting some great music. Believe me, these gentlemen could have easily taken that path. Their debut album Lamps is co-written/produced by Jeff Schneeweis of Number One Gun fame. Moreover, in previous projects, some of the members have connections to Kutless, Stellar Kart, Phil Wickham, Disciple, and Dizmas. Instead of using this advantage for a bit of spiritually nepotistic marketing, Esterlyn remains an independent act, releasing this first extraordinary project through Family Christian Stores and iTunes. They’re taking the high road, and it’s obvious their focus is more about quality than sales.

The strongest element on Lamps would be the melodies. These are excellent pieces of pop craftsmanship, rich on lifts and falls and held together with potent lyrical substance that grows more apparent after the initial listen. Topically, Esterlyn seems perfect for the intellectual faith-seeker. Tracks like “Tie the Leaves” and “We All Need” strike a chord somewhere between conviction and despair, while leaving an open door for doubt even in the face of biblical truths—a refreshing change of pace for a market that has gotten in a rut offering two-dimensional solutions to real world problems. To sum up, there’s hope for tomorrow, but heaven isn’t in sight just yet. This approach is brilliant, and grants the band much-needed credence.

I don’t want to give off the impression that all the material is somber, either. Esterlyn can rock with the heavyweights of their genre and even when dealing in serious truths present their arguments in tight three-minute epics that orbit around vigorous cymbal crashes and persistent bass lines. Despite a presentation (i.e. artwork, lyric sheets) that suggests something along the lines of Edison Glass, Esterlyn sounds like a much smarter This Beautiful Republic.

One of my pet peeves has always been albums with extended running times. You know the kind I’m talking about—those pretentious little numbers with two-minute intros that go absolutely nowhere before crashing headlong into the actual first song on the album. The only purpose these openers serve is to show off a big budget or to give off the impression of said budget where there is none. Thankfully, Lamps is just over 30 minutes in length, dancing in and out of our speakers with the most unassuming of airs. No unnecessary instrumental interludes. No ostentatious splashes of bluster.

Highlights include “Kill Your Own Despair” (a quaint little anthem that opens with a percussive POP! and closes with just the right hint of melodrama) and “Faster, Faster” (showcasing Esterlyn lifting a page from The Killers post-punk songbook, layered with a killer dance beat and electronic bells and whistles—totally unnecessary but fun).

Making a blanket statement along the lines of “this is the best album of the first half of 2008″ is a tad bit premature. I want to give this one a few more spins before I decide whether or not my fixation with each playful little beat is more than just a flash in the pan. Make no mistake, though, these songsters have released one fantastic little album with Lamps. If you miss out on this one, you’ll be kicking yourself for it later.
Review by John Wofford