I got another CD in the mail yesterday. "The Need" by mercyme. First time going through it, was *disappointing*. They sound like a garage band, which they probably were back then. But still, a vast contrast between "The Need" and "Spoken For". You can really see how much the band has matured over the years. You can also see that the success they've had has allowed them to buy better instruments and recording devices.

The CD sounds 'amateurish'. I mean it really sounds like they recorded the whole thing in their garage! There's a strange echo and the bass is really waaaaay to loud. What I do like about mercyme though is that they are always very God-focused in their music. The lyrics are always good, even if the tunes sound pretty bad in this one.

All bands go through a bit of a maturity phase though. In this CD, you can't even tell that Bart Millard has an incredible voice It's highly conceivable that he himself didn't know yet. It's almost as if someone else is singing!