Hailing from Mississippi, contemporary rock group 3 Doors Down has reached limits very few rock bands ever reach. With hits such as “Kryptonite” and “If I Could Be Like That,” 3 Doors Down achieved platinum status and then did it seven times over.

Being that 3 Doors Down sold seven million copies of its first record, “The Better Life,” you would think the band would have trouble with its much anticipated follow-up. After listening to the new record, the band should have nothing to worry about. 3 Doors Down’s new album “Away from the Sun” is 11 tracks full of catchy melodies that will leave the listener with the “song stuck in my head syndrome.”

3 Doors Down’s first single off “Sun” is “When I’m Gone”, and it has already become a fan favorite among radio stations nation wide. The video for the song is a tribute to the men and women of the armed forces. The song starts slowly but punches your ears with a catchy chorus perfect for the airwaves.

The top of my list of favorites is “Going Down in Flames.” It is an upbeat song that lyrically speaks louder than its guitars. On a slower, more relaxing, note, “Here Without You,” is a song that will bring out the romance in any listener. It is a well-written love song with violins that add just enough to make anyone think about their special someone. “Ticket to Heaven” starts slow and adds crunching guitars with meaningful lyrics that people will be singing along with at the group’s live shows.

This record as a whole is made for radio. It takes you on a journey of ups and downs in the tempo. “Away from the Sun” is well rounded with slower and heavier songs that appeal to all types of rock fans. The well-written lyrics are what I feel make this record one of the better records I have heard recently. “Away from the Sun” may not have a song that will reach “Kryptonite” status, but it does feature many songs that should come in at a close second. This record will make you sing, it will make you think and it will most of all inspire.

Catch 3 Doors Down live in Chicago at the Congress Theatre Feb. 15 and in St. Louis at The Pageant Feb. 18.