Third Day - Miracle

Third Day is perhaps one of the most popular acts in Christian music history. Their southern gospel-rock blend is accessible to fans of both adult contemporary and harder rock, but recently they have stuck to the same sound as their 2008 hit album Revelation. I was hoping for something different from Move but didn't get it. Did Miracle finally undo their stagnation?

In a word, no. They stick to their same brand of southern rock for most of the album. The upside? The word "most." Third Day realizes when the trends begin to change and when they need to slightly tweak their sound, like any well-seasoned band should. Musically, they drift more into ambient rock and add some subtle electronic bass lines in songs like "For the Rest of My Life." Like 2010's Move, they add a harder edge to open the album with "Hit Me Like a Bomb." However, save these songs, they stay for the most part where they are comfortable musically. This is not entirely bad because they do this style better than almost anyone. This is definitely a more refined album musically than Move, which does make it more pleasing to listen to. The bottom line is that Third Day fans will love the music. I will admit that Third Day makes me like country rock, which is a feat in itself; however, Miracle does this less than their previous work.

That being said, Third Day has always had a knack for writing great lyrics for all their songs. Miracle is no exception. Songs like "Your Love Is a River," "I Need a Miracle," and "Take Me Back" all are classic examples of quality ballads that can be meaningful to almost anyone at one time or another. All their lyrics are original and honest, never once compromising faith for radio airplay. Yes, some songs are more tuned for radio than others, but that has been true with almost every album from any popular group in any genre. This is an album for all people from all situations. Perhaps that is the true miracle here.

Lyrics: 4.5/5
Music: 3.5/5
Overall score: 4/5