Overall Grade:  4.32 (out of 5.0)

ONE OF MY TOP 2 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

They're baaaack!

Collective Soul is back with their 7^th studio album Afterwords. The album is the band's second on their own label, El Music Group. With Youth, the band had amazing tracks such as "Better Now", "Counting the Days", "Home", and "Under Heaven's Skies". If you didn't think it was possible, it is: the boys keep getting better and better and Afterwords is even a better album than Youth.

The entire album is unbelievably strong, without even a single average track. The band's first single from the album "Hollywood" is a catchy pop tune that will have you singing along or blaring the album as you are driving down the open road with your windows down. If you want songs that you can listen to with your girl next to you, or as you are alone laying in bed, take your pick of "What I Can Give You", "Never Here Alone", "Adored", or one of the many others on the album. One of my new personal favorites is the last track on the album "Adored". Something about the lyrics and the melody are just intoxicating!

The album even features a song written and performed by guitarist Joel Kosche. Lead singer Ed Roland says the theme for this album is love. Kosche's "I Don't Need Anymore Friends" has a different sound, and a different theme, from the rest of the album, but it rocks!

Afterwords is one of my top 2 albums of the year – don't skip over buying this album! Get it exclusively at your local Target stores or on iTunes. Tell all your family and friends that you just got rocked by Collective Soul!

BY: The Asif