Newsboys - Restart

Ever since Michael Tait replaced Peter Furler as the Newsboys' lead singer, I've become far less enamored with the band. After a solid initial release in Born Again and a mediocre worship album in God's Not Dead, I really did not know what to expect from Restart. Musically, I was not surprised at all. The album makes use of the standard modern pop-rock sound that both of Tait's albums have used. Some songs sound better than others, with "Live With Abandon" being the best. Overall, the music rarely obscured the lyrics, which with this style is a mark of some excellence, even if the composition is nothing we have not heard before. It supports the lyrics well; however, this is not necessarily a good thing. Most of the lyrics are somewhat thought-out, but a couple songs stand out for better or for worse. "Live With Abandon" and "We Believe" have excellent lyrics, especially the latter. "We Believe" is a simple yet effective profession of faith. This, combined with its toned-down music, makes it the best track on the album by far. "Live With Abandon" is a little more poppy, but the lyrics contain a message of being unashamed of one's faith, which comes through in a better way than most other contemporary Christian songs with the same theme. "Fishers of Men" is the worst song lyrically on the standard edition of the album, but it still manages to carry a good theme (the music detracts more than the lyrics). The so-called "deluxe edition" adds more filler tracks than most Chris Tomlin albums, with three poor originals and one unnecessary Hillsong cover. I am quite surprised by this, as Born Again: Miracles Edition had many songs that were not present in the standard edition that outshined many songs originally there. This must be the sophomore slump for Tait's Newsboys. They grow more comfortable in their own sound, but they cannot outdo their solid debut. 

Lyrics: 3.5/5

Music: 4/5

Overall score: 3.5/5