Thrive (Casting Crowns album)
Thrive (stylized as THRIVE) is the sixth studio album by American contemporary Christian music band Casting Crowns. Released on January 28, 2014 through Beach Street and Reunion Records, the album was produced by Mark A. Miller. Musically, the album, whose concept was inspired by Psalms 1 from the Bible, has a rock and contemporary Christian sound with influences from folk and bluegrass. The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics for its lyrics and musical diversity, but some critics felt that some songs were too similar to the work of other artists or to their own previous work.
Thrive
January 28, 2014
2013
51:41
Mark A. Miller
Thrive sold 43,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release; although this was short of projections to sell 75,000 copies, it peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart, while also charting in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK. The album was preceded by the lead single "All You've Ever Wanted", which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart. It has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Background and composition[edit]
Thrive was recorded at Zoo Studio in Franklin, Tennessee,[5] with producer Mark A. Miller.[6] According to lead vocalist Mark Hall, the idea behind Thrive came from the student ministry he is involved in.[7] As a youth pastor, Hall frequently uses Psalms 1, which metaphorically compares the concept of a righteous man to a prosperous tree planted by a river. Hall said that many people he has talked with are simply surviving, which he feels contrasts with this — he felt that, although hard times can come upon anyone, people are not put in these situations to simply survive through them, but rather to thrive through the adversity.[8] Using the metaphor, Hall noted that, if one were to pull away all the dirt from around a tree, one would find roots digging into the ground in addition to the limbs of the tree reaching out. Hall elaborated that "you need to get your strength from God; you don’t get it on your own. If you’re all limbs, the thorns of life will knock you over. You need to dig your roots in and let God reach out through you".[9] Accordingly, half of the record focuses on 'reaching out', while the other half focuses on 'digging deep'.[8] Hall described the record as being "an effort to draw a picture of what a believer, a follower of Jesus, would look like if they dug into their roots and understood God and themselves more, and then instead of trying to go be Christian for God, they just let God give them chances to be a Christian".[10]
The music on Thrive has been described as contemporary Christian;[11][12] and rock[13] it was also described as "mid '90s grunge rock with country flair"[14] and the album as having "rock, pop, and worship" songs.[15] Thrive was also noted to have influences from folk[16] and bluegrass at times.[14] The main instruments used on the album include the electric guitar,[11][15] acoustic guitar,[15] and piano. The songs have been called anthems that are intended for people in both jovial and trying times.[17]
The first song on the album, the title track "Thrive", has been described as having a folk pop sound[16] similar to Mumford and Sons or Phillip Phillips.[18] The banjo and mandolin are used in its arrangement[15] in addition to electric guitars and backing vocals.[11] "All You've Ever Wanted" is led by a piano riff,[15] and displays an adult contemporary sound similar to much of the rest of the band's discography.[16] "Just Be Held" also incorporates adult contemporary elements,[16] with one critic comparing the song's string arrangement to those on Downton Abbey,[15] while "You Are the Only One" is a worship song.[15][16] "Broken Together", described as "Coldplay pop",[19] is a piano ballad;[16] the song's protagonist "smashes the facade of a fairy-tale relationship, forgoing the happy ending with the realization that 'maybe you and I were never meant to be complete'".[12]
"Love You with the Truth" is an orchestral rock song,[16] and has been described as a softer version of the music of Skillet.[15] "This Is Now" and "Dream for You" utilize a mix of electric and acoustic guitars,[15] with the latter noted as having a "bluesy" sound.[13] "Follow Me", a ballad with folk influences, is sung by Megan Garrett.[16] "House of Their Dreams" thematically revolves around a family that has pursued material interests at the expense of being together;[15] musically, the song was compared to a softer version of the band's song "American Dream".[16] "Waiting on the Night to Fall" is a warning against Satan, urging listeners not to become complacent.[13]
Release and promotion[edit]
Prior to the release of Thrive, "All You've Ever Wanted" was released as the album's lead single.[8] The song was released to Christian AC radio on September 14, 2013[1] and as a digital download on September 24, 2013.[20] The song has peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart,[21] No. 10 on the Christian Airplay chart,[22] and No. 2 on the Christian Digital Songs chart.[23] Two other songs were released as downloads prior to the album's release: "Thrive", which peaked at No. 10 on the Christian Songs chart[21] and No. 3 on the Christian Digital Songs chart,[23] and "This Is Now", which peaked at No. 15 on the Christian Songs chart[21] and No. 3 on the Christian Digital Songs chart.[23] Following the release of the album, two other songs ("Broken Together" and "Just Be Held") charted on the Christian Songs chart at No. 45 and 50, respectively.[21]
Thrive was released on January 28, 2014.[24] Billboard projected the album would sell around 75,000 copies in the United States in its first week, enough for a top-ten debut on the Billboard 200 and a No. 1 debut on the Christian Albums chart.[25] The album ultimately sold 43,000 units,[26] debuting at No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart,[27] No. 6 on the Billboard 200,[28] and No. 8 on the Digital Albums chart.[29] It went on to become the best-selling Christian album of 2014, shifting 339,000 copies throughout the year.[30]
The album also charted internationally. It debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart[31] and No. 52 on the Dutch Albums chart.[32] Although it did not chart on the main UK Albums Chart, it did reach No. 1 on the UK's Official Christian & Gospel Albums Chart;[33] it also appeared on the Australia Hitseekers Albums chart, which ranks the top albums by artists who have not yet reached the top 50 on the main Australian Albums Chart.[34]