Daylight (Needtobreathe album)

Daylight
Studio album by Needtobreathe
Released	April 4, 2006 (2006-04-04)
Genre	Alternative rock, rock
Label	Atlantic/Sparrow/Lava
Needtobreathe chronology
Daylight (2006) The Heat (2007)

Daylight is the alternative rock debut album by Needtobreathe. It was released in 2006 on Atlantic Records, Sparrow Records, and Lava Records.

Track listing

1. "Don't Wait For Daylight" – 3:47
2. "Quit" – 3:27
3. "Shine On" – 4:13
4. "Don't Leave Just Yet" – 3:55
5. "Haley" – 3:22
6. "You Are Here" – 3:19
7. "Knew It All" – 3:10
8. "More Than" – 3:37
9. "Over Now" – 3:36
10. "Lost" – 4:05
11. "I Won't Look Back" – 5:39

Singles

• "You Are Here"
• "Don't Wait For Daylight"
• "Shine On"
• "Haley"

Critical review

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic (Stephen Thomas Eriewine)
CCM Magazine (Jay Swartzendruber)	A-
Cross Rhythms (Dave Griffiths)
Jesus Freak Hideout (Andrew Shaw)
Melodic.net (Emilio LV)

Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Eriewine highlighted Daylight by NEEDTOBREATHE, as a "friendly, welcoming album; in other hands, the echoing, delayed guitars, retro-'80s synths, cavernous drums, and large soundstages might sound ominous or chilly, but Needtobreathe doesn't have anything foreboding about them at all." In addition, Eriewine underscored how "such niceness could run the risk of being dreadfully dull, but Needtobreathe has an appealing combination of sincerity and skill that Green polishes into a record that is slick yet ingratiating, earnest yet endearing.". Eriewine alluded to how "the brother-led quartet doesn't stretch boundaries -- they're proudly not dangerous -- but they're not only more genuine than Creed, the last prominent Christian-rooted modern rock band, but they're more tuneful and varied, as well, and that's enough to make Daylight a solid debut." Eriewine noted the album "is not intended to be a CCM record...doesn't play like a CCM record, either: it's a big, bright, shiny modern rock record, heavily influenced by U2 and designed for big, open spaces, or at least to be played somewhere between Coldplay and Train on modern rock radio."

CCM Magazine's Jay Swartzendruber illustrated how NEEDTOBREATHE's Daylight was "both surprising and engaging musically. The album—as in every song—is defined by both sweeping hooks and an emphasis on melody, whether via Bear’s rich, versatile vocals, his piano playing or the brothers’ divergent but complementary guitar styles." Swartzendruber indicated how this album suprises because it "is so deep on potential rock radio singles, this disc would make a good 'best of' album for a lot of other bands." Furthermore, he surmised that the album "thrives on driving, emotive rock & roll that’s stylishly presented with the aesthetic and precision of a studio wizard. Yes, it smells of big bucks and great care." He deduced the album as "strikes a familiar chord across the board, the band’s style isn’t reminiscent of a specific band or two so much as a regional rock sound. The impressive rhythm section of Stillwell and Bolt may be extremely direct, but the Rinehart brothers take a distinctly European approach. While their guitars are often up front and sound 'big,' the album is lavished in skillful, ambient playing as the siblings make great use of space." Lastly, he concluded with saying "as far as shortcomings go, you’ll have to dig to find one".

Cross Rhythms Dave Griffiths said NEEDTOBREATHE's Daylight is a debut album that "don't come much more impressive than this one." He critized "the arrangement and production is very slick, but most of the songs are perhaps just a little too similar, and they've stuck to the same formula throughout the album. But, there is so much to enjoy here, it just doesn't matter.". In concluding, Griffiths called it correctly saying "this will surely be a successful album, and a successful band. I just hope they'll be received by a wider audience than the CCM scene."

Jesus Freak Hideout's Andrew Shaw alluded to NEEDTOBREATHE's Daylight as containing "the mouth-watering guitar hooks present in every song further add to the debut's overall appeal. While some artists depend on hooks to carry a tune to popularity, NTB builds a very appealing melody, fused with a no-nonsense message around each one. It is evident that a tremendous amount of work was put into the quality of Daylight. Every track is just as addicting but completely different from the one before it, which makes appreciating the whole album difficult because you can never seem to arrive at the end." He referred to the album as "an astonishing first-effort that could not have come at a better time. With the demise of some of Christian music's greatest acts, it is reassuring to see one group stepping up to the plate with all they got." Shaw concluded with calling the band the next Switchfoot.

Melodic.net's Emilio LV said NEEDTOBREATHE's Daylight is one a purchaser can buy "with blind eyes."