Hailing from Midland, Texas, Jon Wymore aims to harken back to the late '80s/early '90s era of Christian rock, mixing chunky guitars with smooth synths. His latest album, Beacon, uses this style to tell a compelling tale of doubt and faith using the metaphor of being lost at sea. "Storm" opens the album on a darker note, wrestling with doubts of God's goodness, though glimpses of light poke through in the chorus. "Rescue" further softens the darkness by looking in hope to heavenly help. These two tracks are the most "'80s" of the bunch, letting the synths shine while featuring good guitar work. "Haven" and "Fear" are two shorter, quieter tracks that serve to transition the album thematically and musically. On the other side, the music embraces a more modern sound akin to early 2000s rock (think TAIT or early Jeremy Camp). It also fully embraces the hope of coming salvation in "Miracle" and the title track. "Arriving" is a standout instrumental break, and the album closes out with Wymore finally in safe harbor with "Shores" (featuring a welcome guest spot by The City and the Sea). All in all, Beacon is a competent album that picks a metaphor and sticks with it from start to finish. That's a hard thing to accomplish, and Wymore's achievement shouldn't be overlooked. While there's nothing offensive about the album's composition or execution, the metaphor of being adrift at sea and needing safe harbor in Jesus is one that's been used before to varying degrees. There's a reason for that, of course, given its power and relatability. Wymore does his best to give a fresh take, but the songs on an individual basis don't do much to stand out lyrically from any other songs cut from a similar cloth. That doesn't make the album bad, it just makes it less memorable. Still, the potential is clear and Jon Wymore's Beacon may serve to draw in some new fans for his future releases.

- Review date: 7/17/24, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com