Contemporary Christian ambient pop-rock rock band Luminate has released Banner of Love to Christian AC to a great response, especially from me! I’m loving Luminate’s Banner of Love, especially the acoustic version to which I’ve linked below.
Samuel Hancock, Luminate’s lead vocalist, has never sounded so confident and sure of himself on a record. (On a totally unrelated note, am I the only one who thinks he looks like Rafael Nadal with that haircut?) The rest of the band – Aaron, Cody, and Dusty – provide a stellar acoustic backdrop to this hard-hitting song about how God is ultimately our reason for boasting and our reason for loving in a world that needs His love more than ever.
I haven’t been this excited about a Christian rock song since The City Harmonic’s Mountaintop, which says a lot about the quality of Christian rock music that’s coming out of the USA these days. If the acoustic version of Banner of Love sounds like this, I can’t wait to download the original version of Luminate’s Banner of Love off iTunes!
Luminate hasn’t updated its website since February 2012 – OUCH! – but the new album drops August 29th, according to the band’s Twitter account. Banner of Love is one of the catchiest, most relevant songs now coming out on Christian CHR and Christian AC, and if the current reaction to Banner of Love is any indication – Most Added this week, plus it’s in the top 10 of songs with highest increase in radio spins – Banner of Love may be the band’s first-ever Top 10 hit, and it is well-deserved.
BANNER OF LOVE Lyrics
Luminate
There’s a fight between my heart and soul
When my pride tries to take control
It’s hard to see what I was meant to be
And we are living in the world without a cause
And there’s a need that seems impossible
But I can hear, I hear You calling me
To raise a banner of love up high in these city streets
One hope for all the world to see
Be my banner of love
This love is a burning flame
One voice crying out Your name
You’re my banner of love
You’re my banner of love
And only You can see my destiny
Only You can be the strength I need
Cause my life is Yours now
So goodbye to pride and bitterness
I’m going to live out my purpose
Cause Your life has showed me how
To raise a banner of love up high in these city streets
One hope for all the world to see
Be my banner of love
This love is a burning flame
One voice crying out Your name
You’re my banner of love
You’re my banner of love
I want to be Your love
I want to lift You higher
I want to reach out and touch this world
I’m gonna reach out and love Your world
We want to show Your love
We want to lift You higher
We’re gonna reach out and change this world
We’re raising the banner of love up high in these streets
One hope for all the world to see
Be my banner of love
This love is a burning flame
One voice crying out Your name
You’re my banner of love
You’re my banner of love
Up high in these city streets
One hope for all the world to see
Be my banner of love
This love is a burning flame
One voice crying out Your name
You’re my banner of love
You’re my banner of love
