JesusfreakHideout.com: Highlighting 2016 Part One -- Looking Ahead To New Music In The First Half of 2016

For our 10th annual Highlighting feature, we split the year into TWO pieces -- January to June and July to December. Each list contains 10 artists/releases for a total of 20 in total for 2016. So, without further ado, we give you Highlighting Second-Half 2016! -- Please keep in mind that any artists that placed in the First Half (like Skillet, Paper Route and winner House of Heroes) won't be re-listed here!

1 of 10

#1. Switchfoot
Where The Light Shines Through

Release Date: July 8, 2016

Though they have yet to top their 2003 album The Beautiful Letdown, Switchfoot has regained a strong relevance in the music industry in recent years. Where The Light Shines Through maintains the level of quality found on Vice Verses and Fading West, but like all Switchfoot albums, it has a different personality. Thematically and musically, it feels kind of like a "best of" album with all new material. This new album proves that their best material may yet be ahead of them.
- Christopher Smith

Switchfoot has written the blueprint on how to be a successful, relevant career band. You write really good songs (�Live It Well� is a great radio song, simple yet memorable, universal yet specific), connect with your audience (Jon Foreman is legendary for his after concert, parking lot performances), stick with the same group you work well with (three of the members have been there since the start as a trio) and stretch boundaries left and right (how about a surf film with a killer soundtrack or a set of EP�s that total 24 songs, one for each hour of the day?).
- Alex Caldwell

Yep, Switchfoot is number one. Maybe you've heard this story before, but is there any true reason to doubt this band as a perennial contender? Having already listened to Where the Light Shines Through, I'm honestly not sure where it fits into their entire discography, but it's safe to say it'll be a year-end highlight for many, myself included.
- Roger Gelwicks

Somehow, ten albums in, the San Diego rock legends still sound as fresh and relevant as ever, so it comes as no surprise to find Where the Light Shines Through is the most anticipated record for many this year. From the band's lighthearted and often quirky musicianship to Jon Foreman's challenging word pennings, Where The Light Shines Through is bound to be another memorable chapter in an impressive career. - Lucas Munachen

19 years after their debut, Switchfoot is still making relevant pop rock music, and Where The Light Shines Through is indeed a highlight of the 2016 summer!
- John DiBiase

Visit our Switchfoot page for more information about them...

2016 Part 2 Countdown: July to December

10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1

2016 Part 1 Countdown: January to June

10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Here are a few other artists that made our staff's individual lists that didn't quite make the top 10 for Part 2... Crowder, Artifex Pereo, Silent Planet, Stavesacre, All Sons & Daughters, Heath McNease, Fit for a King, Hearts Like Lions, Norma Jean and The Devil Wears Prada!