KellyS (37)

Luke Dowler brings back the old school rock sounds of Rick Springfield and Bruce Springsteen with his Dream Records debut, Polarized. Touching on a variety of topics including personal relationships, spirituality, and current social issues, this album doesn’t skimp on honesty when it comes to what people are facing these days.

 

First track "American Girl”, as well as "No One Else”, are obviously about a love interest of Dowler’s and add a nice variety to the album. Keeping the rock feel with electric guitars, drums, and Dowler’s gritty vocals, the songwriter isn’t afraid to touch on personal topics, including his own relationships.

 

Not only does Dowler write about his relationships with people, but his relationship with God is also a topic of several tracks. "One Thing" and "Coming Alive" contain themes of worship and praise where the songwriter states God’s place is front and center in his life. In "Coming Alive", the chorus repeats "It's up with the morning / It breaks like the dawn / And everything inside is coming alive!" With high energy that’s uplifting and positive, this rock anthem reminds us there's hope in challenging situations because God can bring us back to life again.

 

Throughout the album, Dowler also broaches several social issues that are facing our country today. Tracks like "Gun", "Perseus" and "Polarized" share the songwriter's personal opinions on the struggles facing our world and how we can have an impact. Title track "Polarized" specifically looks at war and how it may be a result of the miscommunications in our own personal relationships.

After discussing some of his own experiences in struggling with communication, Dowler sings in the chorus, "These are some of the reasons we are at war / These are some of the reasons we all ignore."  Dowler implies that perhaps communication problems in our personal, daily relationships and interactions with people, are the same reasons our world is at war. If we can fix how we handle misunderstandings in our own lives, perhaps we can keep from warring with each other on a much larger scale. 

 

With a sound reminiscent of some of America's original rockers and a voice that sounds a lot like Jason Roy of Building 429, Luke Dowler joins the small group of Christian artists who aren't afraid to touch on topics most try to avoid. With honesty and social awareness, Polarized aims to cut through the shallowness of today's society and get to the heart of what's really going on.

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