Third Day: Miracle

Third Day: Miracle

Release Date: 6 November 2012

Genre: Contemporary Southern Rock

Label: Essential

Similar Artists: Kutless; Jars Of Clay; Jeremy Camp; Todd Agnew

Album Length: 41:32

Rating: 4/5

From the first beat it is obvious… this is classic Third Day. Third Day is the type of band that anyone will like if given the chance; their mixture of southern rock and praise lyrics makes them a sure hit for all ages. I have played their previous albums for so many people after being asked for a neutral band - this album is no different. Many people came into the shop and the kids ran to the listening stations to check out what was new and a few minutes later they were leaving with a copy of the album… I think this may be you too.

The album differs relatively from their previous album ‘Move’. I thought that ‘Move’ was their heaviest album to date, in the sense that they had a few songs that were rockier. This new album ‘Miracle’ has brought about a new era for Third Day I think. ‘Miracle’ is able to blend that style everyone loves; the softer songs that appeal to the heart, and the rockier songs that get the foot tapping. One thing Third Day has always been able to do is make country style Christian rock cool. I am pleased to say this album is no different.

The album shifts tone a few times; it starts with a bang in Hit Me Like a Bomb and then moves on to songs like I want to believe in You. It is difficult to give the album a definite tone…it is definitely Southern (Mac Powell’s voice is as amazing as ever) but the variation of song tones makes for an interesting compilation. I must be honest: the first time I heard ‘Miracle’ I did not think it was going to be my favourite Third Day album. But the songs grew on me and the lyrics began to hit me and it wasn’t long before my appreciation for this album grew. In particular the lyrics from Take Me Back are especially beautiful: “Take me back to the place it started; take me back to the warmth of the sun; to the place where the rivers meet the ocean; take me back home; yeah, that’s where I belong.”

I have been a Third Day fan for many years now. I love their old stuff and now their new stuff; they are a band that has managed to keep up with the times without losing their incredibly unique sound. Something I loved which was new on this album was their cover of the old school song Morning Has Broken – it’s one of the best covers I have ever heard. I think I even prefer it to the original…

I highly recommend this album for anyone that is looking for music. If you like rock you’ll enjoy it, if you like praise you will like it, if you enjoy chilled music you will like it. There is something for everyone on this album. I say go get it and enjoy it.

For me, my favourite track on ‘Miracle’ goes to…drum roll please… For The Rest Of My Life.

Have a rocking week everyone

J
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Ooo my turn…Ok…straight off the bat I’d like to state I’ve never really listened to Third Day…not because I didn’t like their music  but purely because I placed a “praise and worship” label on them (I don’t know why this is, I think Jay must’ve played me one of their worship albums or something…). But me being into harder rock and now indie/folk meant they were never really a band that stood out.

Taking my ‘Haste the Day vs. Haste the Day’ CD out and putting ‘Miracle’ in, I was totally unaware of the awesomeness that was to come.  Now, I’d like to emphasise that I am NOT an avid fan who has a wealth of knowledge of their previous work and likes to boast that I knew them before they were cool - but am a complete newbie - so I can’t compare this to the older stuff. I can, however, speak from a complete ‘naïve’ point of view.

From the first track, Hit me like a bomb, I was hooked! Considering the fact that I thought they were more of a “praise and worship” band I was completely taken aback at the amount of variety in the album. It goes from the rocky opening track to the slower I need a Miracle to the kind of bluesy The Victory. Despite this amount of variety, the tracks follow each other smoothly - the way in which the CD is put together is faultless. You find yourself constantly guessing what kind of song is coming next.

The album is a true example of how effective music can be in spreading a message. Their lyrics are some of the most powerful I’ve listened to in a long time:

"Well, no matter who you are,
And no matter what you've done
There will come a time
When you can't make it on your own
And in your hour of desperation
Know you're not the only one
Prayin', Lord above, I need a miracle" - I Need a Miracle

I could literally fill up this entire blog with extracts from each and every song, but instead of doing that I’ll just recommend you go out and get a copy of ‘Miracle’ for yourself :p

One thing that doing this review has taught me is that you should give all music a chance…you never know…you could be missing out on something really really good!! I give it a 4 out of 5!

Peace and love everyone

A