Sunlight is the first of four EPs to be released under Jon Foreman's second solo-project, The Wonderlands. Foreman describes the project as, "trying to explore the physical space of music. I wanted to create a place that would exist only when you press play; a place of light and shadows, tension and release, things that you know and things that you don’t know. It's incredible that you can create a mood, almost a structure of feeling. All 24 songs will correspond with different moods of the day. At the end I'm going to do 25 concerts in 24 hours."[2]
| Sunlight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | May 26, 2015 | |||
| Genre | Christian alternative rock, folk, acoustic rock | |||
| Length | 24:48 | |||
| Label | lowercase people | |||
| Producer |
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| Jon Foreman chronology | ||||
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The series is a collaborative effort, with a different producer for each song, and Foreman sending in tracks recorded backstage while on tour.[3]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| 365 Days of Inspiring Media |   [4] |
| CCM Magazine |  [5] |
| Cross Rhythms |   [6] |
| FDRMX | [7] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [8] [9] [10] |
| New Release Tuesday | [11] |
Matt Conner, giving the EP four stars from CCM Magazine, describes, "Foreman's new solo sets show a deep consideration of a life lived in both darkness and light."[5] Awarding the EP four and a half stars for New Release Tuesday, Mary Nikkel states, "The first installment of The Wonderlands is a strong start for a promising EP arc."[11] Jessica Morris, giving the EP a 4.8 star review at FDRMX, writes, "A delight to the ears, heart and the imagination, Sunlight tackles some of the most debilitating and important topics of life with a lightness and hope that will strengthen you."[7] Awarding the EP a nine out of ten from Cross Rhythms, Helen Whitall says, "there are some excellent songs here and lyrically Foreman is going from strength to strength."[6] Joshua Andre, indicating in four and a half star review at 365 Days of Inspiring Media, recognizes, "As for the rest of The Wonderlands releasing in a few months; if they’re as half as good as Sunlight, then Jon Foreman is sure to have a brighter and longer career ahead of him!"[4] Signaling in a four star review by Jesus Freak Hideout, Roger Gelwicks responds, "Sunlight is a refreshing piece of artistry".[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Jon Foreman
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Terminal" | 5:09 |
| 2. | "The Mountain" | 3:58 |
| 3. | "You Don't Know How Beautiful You Are" | 3:32 |
| 4. | "Caroline" | 4:08 |
| 5. | "Patron Saint of Rock and Roll" | 3:35 |
| 6. | "All of God's Children" | 4:26 |
Chart performance
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[12] | 104 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[13] | 9 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard)[14] | 2 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard)[15] | 2 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[16] | 11 |