AMANDA-- "LET MY LOVE OPEN THE DOOR" by LUMINATE

Happy Friday all! Today's song comes from a contemporary-ambient rock group from Texas, Luminate. As you can probably guess from the name, they are a Christian band. I generally don't listen to Christian music with the exception of Skillet but their cover of Pete Townsend's "Let My Love Open the Door" blew me away this week. The song is one of Townsend's biggest hits and the "love" he sings about can be interpreted as either romantic love or "God's love," likely explaining why Luminate would choose to cover it. I came across the song while watching the season two finale of HBO's "The Newsroom" and in the context of the show (a cheesy, celebratory montage) it works quite well. Honestly, just from listening, you probably wouldn't have any idea the group is Christian, not that it really matters. Their version is obviously very different from the 80's original but the soft, ambient sound is a real treat to the ears. It's not easy to explain exactly but the overall tone strikes me as richer and grander. The slower tempo also makes it extremely easy to appreciate Pete Townsend's genius -namely the beautiful lyrics and composition. Moreover, it's a feel good rock song that may or may not give you lots of warm fuzzies inside. Enjoy and have a terrific weekend!