Sometimes, when a band becomes very successful, they decide to completely change their sound. U2 did it. Dc Talk has done it more than once. Well, most Third Day fans will be pleased to hear that, despite the massive success of the band's Offerings album and subsequent tour, the Christian rock quintet from Atlanta has made no major departures from their signature sound on their latest album, Come Together.
While it's still basically the same Third Day we have all come to know and love, there are a few minor differences between Come Together and previous Third Day albums. Come Together is much less worship-oriented than Offerings. Also, Come Together is not nearly as raw-sounding as Time. In fact, the latest Third Day record is perhaps their most heavily produced to date. The album kicks off with some electronic beeping sounds, and songs like "My Heart" and "It's Alright" are very polished. While some fans may prefer the old, more live sounding Third Day, most folks will probably have no problem with the production values.
The album begins with the title track, one of the band's catchiest songs to date. The emphasis of the song is unity, a topic that we need to be reminded of. Unfortunately, this theme is basically forgotten after this song, which makes one wonder why they even bothered to name the record Come Together.
Despite the lack of a clear central theme, however, the band serves up some of their most thoughtful lyrics and most infectious melodies to date on Come Together. "Forty Days" is a fast-paced rocker with encouraging lyrics. In fact, many of the songs on Come Together offer encouragement and coax the listener to persevere, making the album to be one of the most optimistic and uplifting to come along in quite some time.
Although there are not quite as many worship tunes on Come Together as many fans will undoubtedly expect, Third Day has not totally abandoned their worship roots. "Show Me Your Glory" is one of the most beautiful songs that the band has recorded in a long time. "Nothing Compares" is also an impressive praise song, but "Sing Praises" is a bit too repetitive and simplistic to really be taken seriously.
Has Third Day changed any since Offerings and Time? Well, yes. Mac Powell's vocals and songwriting are stronger than ever. The band seems to have matured a bit, too. And the always-impressive producer Monroe Jones did take a risk and push the band towards a more clean-cut sound. Come Together is definitely a strong addition to Third Day's catalogue, and while a few fans may still prefer Offerings or Time, Third Day shows no signs of slowing down, and Come Together will most certainly become a new favorite for Christian rock fans.
Josh's Score: 3/5
Mark's Score: 3/5
Other coverage for this album
ReAL Magazine 2002Reviewed by Neal T. RedmanThird Day is doing absolutely nothing new in this album. However, if you liked any of their previous albums, you're pretty much guaranteed to like this one. If you haven't liked their previous music, don't bother taking a look at this one.The Rebel Base 2002Reviewed by David MartinI'm starting to think that Third Day is this generation's Petra. Which is not to say that we need another Petra, thank you very much. I got into Christian music a bit late to truly enjoy Petra's heyday. The Christian rock super group is still around, mind you, but I suppose that's another review. I'm here to talk about CCM's favorite hard-working, Southern-style rocking outfit from the Peach…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Brian A. SmithMac Powell's voice has often been likened to a cross between Darius Rucker (Hootie & the Blowfish) and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam). On Conspiracy No. 5, that comparison may have had some validity to it. On Come Together, Third Day seems to have come into their own, establishing their own sound, walking the line between bluesy, southern-flavored rock, and songs that are destined to become part of…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Eric DaamsIt seems to be inevitable that whenever a band releases a really great album, it is followed by a mediocre one. That is certainly the case with Third Day's newest release. Last year's Offerings was the band's masterpiece, effectively capturing their passion for God and their outstanding musical abilities in what was one of the best albums of 2000. Following the trail of Offerings' tremendous…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Jessica HeikoopI confess I don't own Third Day's renowned album, Offerings, so I don't have the expertise to compare the two albums. But I can say that Come Together is filled with many awesome tunes, it's one to add to anyone's CD collection, a fan prior to this album or not. The album contains 12 songs, all of which have something in them to look forward to hearing--be it lead singer Mac Powell's edgy voice,…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Matthew WilliamsThere's something admirable when an artist finds his niche, explores it to the fullest, and still remains entertaining and creatively liberated in the process. That's exactly what you'll find on Third Day's fourth studio album, Come Together. Remaining true to their southern roots, the album contains a mixture of the sounds that propelled them to the forefront of the Christian music scene, while…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Megan LenzThird Day has a few problems. They can't seem to decide whether they are going to be a straightforward southern roots-rock band or an eclectic modern rock band. They also can't seem to decide if they're going to be a worship band or not. Then again, maybe these aren't problems. Come Together is undoubtedly Third Day's best effort yet. It falls more in the eclectic vein of Conspiracy No. 5, rather…Similar sounding releases
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