Lightwork

Lightwork is a record on which Devin Townsend keeps the huge wall of sound he does best while giving it a calmer feel, with more breath than the preceding works. Heavy guitar, thick choruses and delicate electronics create a wide space, while the singing is endlessly introspective and intimate. From the lift of the opener “Moonpeople” and the grandeur of “Lightworker” to the drive of “Equinox” and the shading of “Call of the Void” and the lyricism of “Heartbreaker,” every song carries a positive, open melody. Its distinction is that it foregrounds a refined pop sense and a pleasant expanse of sound over experimental intensity. Rather than ending a dense, information-rich arrangement as mere overwhelm, it carefully ties it to a sense of recovery and hope. A mature calm, oriented toward harmony over chaos, wraps the whole. It is a large-scale, fulfilling record on which Devin Townsend’s light-filled, positive side comes to beautiful fruition — a record that gently illuminates the listener’s heart.