ERICKOSCAR’s ‘Hold The Light’ is a highly personal album centred on love, resilience and the wish to keep believing during tough times. The title song, which was written for his wife, acts as the emotional core of the album, reflecting both the reality of living with continuous pain and the hope of finding a way to overcome it. Instead of letting the subject matter remain entirely sorrowful, ERICKOSCAR treats the song as a prayer, employing acoustic guitar, piano and a moving SATB choir to produce a sound that sounds close and at the same time encouraging. His genuine lead vocal carries the main message, giving ‘Hold The Light’ a kind of honesty that causes its central idea to have an impact beyond the personal experience that inspired it.
Throughout the album ERICKOSCAR keeps drawing on the musical roots that have influenced his life; his father was a singer and it was through him that Erickoscar first became familiar with love songs and ballads, and over the course of more than 35 years playing acoustic guitar with a worship band he has developed a natural affinity for melody, emotion and storytelling. This background is evident in an album that easily shifts between heartfelt ballads, moments inspired by gospel and more modern songwriting. The tracks ‘Everything I Needed’, ‘Still Ridin’ On’, ‘Let Me Tell You Now’, ‘Total Package’ and ‘Till We Turn Grey’ carry on the album’s theme of love, relationships and perseverance, while ‘It’s Over’ offers a different emotional viewpoint by treating separation as a claim of self-respect rather than as a expression of bitterness.
What is so appealing about “Hold The Light” is the impression that ERICKOSCAR is still coming across new possibilities after all the years he has spent making music. Having composed over 1,200 songs and having recently acquired the skill of using music-production software, he has now found another way of bringing his ideas to life by constructing arrangements based on his songwriting and acoustic groundwork. The album ends with “Congela el Tiempo”, “Eres Mi Latido” and “Abraza a Tus Amigos Esta Noche”, thus continuing its theme of connection, affection and appreciation. In the end, “Hold The Light” is an album concerned with holding on to what is important when situations become difficult — namely love, faith, hope and the people who give life meaning — and ERICKOSCAR conveys this message with a sincerity which lies at the core of all that he produces.
“Hold The Light” turns personal struggle into a prayer of hope, Erickoscar achieving this through heartfelt songwriting, acoustic warmth and soulful production, and serves to remind us that even in the most difficult moments there is something worth holding onto.
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