Thankful marked the end of
Caedmon's Call's ten-year run with Essential Records. While 2004's Chronicles included live and rare versions of some of the band's hits,
Thankful is a traditional best-of collection. The band's warm cover version of
Rich Mullins' "Hope to Carry On" is included, as are acoustic favorites like "Lead of Love" and "This World." Over half of the collection is taken from their self-titled 1997 album and 1999's
40 Acres, leaving the remainder of their material a bit underrepresented. Fans might argue that the omission of number one hit "Coming Home" was an error. However,
Thankful remains a fitting ode to the band's popular acoustic folk-pop. ~ Jared Johnson