Third Day w/ Chad James

Anyone missing the kind of soft rock with a slightly crusty exterior that Darius "Hootie" Rucker proffered in the '90s with his Blowfish could do plenty worse than to give an ear to Third Day's Mac Powell. Of course, listeners to certain Christian radio outletslocally, that would include the syndicated K-Love feed at 105.3 FMhave known Third Day's populist pleasures since the middle of the Clinton decade, when the band's first indie debut album was picked up by a church market major label to become an instant hit beyond the church youth group reach of most explicitly Christian rock bands. It's easy enough to hear why, too. Powell's friendly, declamatory rasp fronts some solid musicianship, often sounding like a slightly alt update of the less raucous aspects of '70s Southern boogie rocking. In a brief experiment to expand their primary audience, Third Day were even opening for resolutely Southern acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd. They have returned to focusing on their primary audience, but not without bringing in fellow believers who have managed success beyond the pews, such as Powell's duet with Flyleaf's Lacey Mosley on Third Day's latest studio set, Revelation.