by Jared Johnson
For the unaware, there is a process to healing hearts and minds that is marked by time and questions. Miracles is a punctuated look at that process. A glance at the song list shows that this newest offering chronicles a journey away from heartaches. The passage from darkness to light takes on several forms: the healing of emotional wounds, the spiritual rebirth of repentance, the psychology of helping loved ones through crises, and even Paul Cardall's personal musical development. The title track begins the album by acknowledging honest grief and resolving to overcome it. The middle of the album takes listeners through all the necessary passages: regret, denial, tears, solitude, introspection, and lasting acceptance. "Leaving L.A." can be a metaphor for taking flight from a modern representation of Babylon, and "Back to L.A." could describe returning to the world with the power to triumph over it. "The Memory Lives On" is Cardall's memorable first song with lyrics, featuring Kimberly Summers on vocals. The song was written for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. Between his new styles and complex emotions, Cardall lifts audiences with this album.