Reviewed by Alastair McCollum

Hawk Nelson's third album is an energetic set filled with wit and passion. The album opens with the blasting "You Have What I Need', leading into the "c'mon everyone join in" vibe of "Friend Like That", then the Busted-esque sound of "Turn It On" and whilst the album may have some slower and more anthemic tracks such as "One Little Miracle" and "Arms Around Me" the energy never fades. This Special Edition adds three tracks to the end of the album; acoustic versions of "One Little Miracle" and "Friend Like That" and a rocky party anthem called "Bring 'Em Out". The duet between lead singer Jason Dunn and Amy Grant on "One Little Miracle" is enough reason to buy the Special Edition - beautifully executed with sublime harmonies. The other two tracks highlight the versatility and musical ability of the group along with the desire for themselves and their listeners to have a good time. Also with this special edition, though there are no clues to its existence on the sleeve or in the board game packaging, is a DVD with videos of "Friend Like That" from the current CD, two tracks from the excellent 'Smile, It's The End Of The World' CD and one from their debut album 'Letters To The President'. These videos showcase the wit and creativity of the band alongside "making of" featurettes about the acoustic version of "One Little Miracle" and the video for "Friend Like That". Last, and least, comes a short film of the band going skydiving, fun but nothing more. All in all worth getting the Special Edition - probably the best Christian pop-punk available.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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