I can’t think of a better way to return from a 40 Day Blog Fast than to kick it all off with a contest! Thanks to my friends at EMI Music, I am honored to both review the new TobyMac CD and offer a free copy to 2 lucky commenters!  First off, here’s my review:

If you have followed the blog much, you probably note that I am a sideline fan of TobyMac. I was a much bigger fan of DC Talk and have enjoyed some of the music that Toby has produced since he went solo. I’ve even had the privilege to see Toby in concert. While extremely loud, it was entertaining (man, I am getting old..did I really just say it was too loud?). I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my friend Jeff’s obsession with TobyMac has led him to purchase front row tickets to see him in concert in Seattle (we live in Ohio) and pay to run with him in the Nashville 1/2 Marathon on April 24th. So I am literally not the biggest TobyMac fan. I think Jeff takes that prize.

All that being said, when I received “Tonight” in the mail and popped it into iTunes, I was hooked after the first two songs. I later used my 5 mile run to really listen to the CD and friends, it is SLAMMIN! If you are a fan of TobyMac he doesn’t disappoint with this latest release. If you are more of a casual listener, I think you might find that this is his best work. His previous CD “Portable Sounds” didn’t catch on with me at first. It took me some time and it eventually really grew on me. Not so with “Tonight”. I have liked it from the first time through to now my third or 4th listen.

Either way, you will want to add “Tonight” to your collection…and iPod.

There isn’t a bad track on the entire CD. One thing I have always admired (even when he was with DC Talk) is Toby’s ability to stay current and change his sound to match the popular sounds of culture (like “Jesus Freak” sounded a lot like Seattle grunge). For this reason, “Tonight” will fit nicely on your playlists along with whatever you are listening to. Head over to iTunes and pick up a copy for yourself or someone you know.

“Tonight” is a 5 out of 5!

On that note, let me give a few two copies of the CD away. Of all the songs that TobyMac has released, there are two that I include in my half-marathon playlists. One has been on every single one I have ever created (hint: I usually post my playlists on this blog when I create them). I will send one copy of the new CD to the first two commenters that can accurately guess which two songs I have on my playlists. There are several combinations so give it your best shot! Leave a comment below. I’ll update when I have my two winners.

UPDATE!!! Congratulations to Dave and Jess for their correct answers! They will each receive a copy of the new CD.

*Thanks again to my friends at EMI for the free copies of “Tonight” and allowing me to review it.