Miracle

Editors’ Notes The 11th full-length studio album from Third Day plays more like a greatest-hits compilation; out of all 12 songs here, not one sounds like filler. “Hit Me Like a Bomb” detonates with Mark Lee’s tube amp blasting distorted guitar riffs, balanced with twangy leads, as Mac Powell’s gritty voice coos a catchy, sing-along melody. The chorus of “I Believe in You” is just as infectious, though the song is a slower paced one that muses on faith through gospel-influenced refrain. Producer Brendan O'Brien’s past work with Pearl Jam, Velvet Revolver, Train, and Neil Young’s Mirror Ball seeps into the mix with post-grunge aplomb. Even songs with barbed radio-pop hooks, like “Kicking and Screaming” sound enveloped in the bygone sound of early-‘90s Seattle. The standout single “I Need a Miracle” tugs on the heartstrings with blue-collar based narratives, à la Bruce Springsteen—including a chorus that’s anthemic without overdoing it. They cleverly close with a rocking cover of the 1931 hymn “Morning Has Broken” that’s worthy of lighter-hoisting.