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Jars Of ClayAlbums ReviewedJars of Clay (1995)Much Afraid (1997) If I Left The Zoo (1999) The Eleventh Hour (2001) Furthermore (2003) Who We Are Instead (2003) Jars of Clay(1995)Jars of Clay are a rarity in Christian music for possessing a distinctive style that doesn't sound instantly Christian or derivative. They're not strictly a band as the four members merely sing and play guitars and keyboards, meaning that they need to hire a rhythm section as required. Their genre-defining work is on their debut Jars of Clay, where they display a distinctive melodic acoustic style that is already fully fledged. Their lyrics are also innovative, as they candidly share insecurities in their faith. Jars of Clay is a pleasant introspective album with exceptional songs, particularly the passionate 'Worlds Apart'. The icing on Jars of Clay's cake comes from King Crimson's Adrian Belew, who graces two tracks with fluid production and bass, mandolin and cello parts. Belew and Jars of Clay are an inspired combination as 'Flood' and 'Liquid' work wonderfully. While the remainder of Jars of Clay is occasionally monotonous it shows a group mixing passion and innovation, always a winning combination. 
Much Afraid(1997)Much Afraid loses some of the essence of Jars of Clay, as the group's distinctive acoustic texture is blended with a more straightforward pop/rock sound. While it is unfortunate that Jars of Clay trade in their uniqueness for mainstream appeal, the songs on Much Afraid are strong enough to make the album worthwhile. The group rock out, especially on 'Crazy Times', which seemed outside the scope of Jars of Clay. There are also great pop songs, such as 'Fade to Grey' and 'Tea and Sympathy'. It is on the more subdued songs that Jars of Clay are at their most effective: the closing two songs 'Much Afraid' and 'Hymn', and particularly the seven minute 'Frail'. The latter is one of the best things to come out of Christian music, as it honestly expresses insecurity and frailty within a Christian context: "If I was not so weak/If I was not so cold/If I was not so scared of being broken/Growing old." While the more generic approach of Much Afraid successfully places more emphasis on songwriting, several of the songs are too bland to be interesting. This spoils the impact of Much Afraid, and points the way to a disappointing followup album.
 If I Left the Zoo(1999)After two respectable efforts, Jars of Clay's third album is disappointing. There are a few identifiable reasons why; Jars of Clay float ever closer towards generic pop/rock, particularly some very bland guitar lines. To make matters worse, producer Dennis Herring seems intent on slapping tacky production tricks all over If I Left The Zoo. Elements such as the accordion in 'Goodbye, Goodnight' and the gospel choir in 'I'm Alright' come across as irritatingly quirky window dressing. The lyrics are also inconsistent; counteracting insightful efforts such as 'Hands' are generic love lyrics in 'Famous Last Words'. Fellow Christian musicians Delirious and Rebecca St. James had recently released songs named 'It's OK' and 'Alright', making the chorus of If I Left The Zoo's I'm Alright ("But I'm alright, I'm alright, I'm alright, I'm alright, I'm alright, I'm alright, I'm alright) seem additionally inane. Fortunately, the real Jars of Clay manage to sneak an occasional appearance on If I Left The Zoo; the low-key closer 'River Constantine' is the highlight, while 'Hand' retains a fair portion of Jars of Clay's traditional essence. A couple of the rockers, 'Unforgetful You' and 'Collide', are passable although they don't showcase Jars of Clay at their most effective. For a talented group supposedly in their prime, If I Left The Zoo is a disappointing release that is dangerously close to one and a half stars.
The Eleventh Hour(2002)After the disappointing If I Left The Zoo, Jars of Clay are the most focused they've been since their debut. They've taken much of the artistic responsibility for The Eleventh Hour, with a sole production credit. Instead of generic pop/rock for a whole album like If I Left The Zoo, The Eleventh Hour is far more varied. The opener 'Disappear' and 'Whatever She Wants' are the group's edgiest songs, while the title track and 'I Need You' are infectiously pop masterpieces. There's nothing as startlingly original as on the debut, but 'Disappear' and 'I Need You' in particular seem like potential crossover hits. They've also scaled up the beauty of their compositions; the gentle 'These Ordinary Days' is lovely, while 'The Edge Of Water' benefits from a more dramatic arrangement. Jars of Clay have also sharpened up their lyrics which often return to the themes of the first album, although a generic relationship lyric slips into 'Whatever She Wants' and 'Revolution' sounds like it would be appropriate for a group named Becoming Mildly Irritated Against The Machine. More than countering these are lovely lyrics about dealing with death ('Fly') and lots of arty impressionism, notably on 'The Edge Of Water'. Hopefully Jars of Clay are yet to create their ultimate masterpiece, but The Eleventh Hour is a definite step in the right direction.
Furthermore(2003)Furthermore, as its title implies, is not a new studio album from Jars of Clay, but an appendix to their existing body of work. The double CD set consists of From The Studio, featuring newly recorded minimalist versions of some of their best loved tunes as well as three new songs, while From The Stage captures a surprisingly sharp Jars of Clay performing live. More than anything this release is intended for established fans, but it's a pleasure to revisit the best moments of Jars of Clay's strong back catalogue, while the two different facets of the band that are captured are revealing. Of the two discs, the live set is the strongest. The first half is impeccable as the Jars rip through stellar tracks 'Disappear', 'Crazy Times', 'I Need You', and 'Like A Child', before ending with excellent takes on their trademark 'Flood' and the contemplative 'Worlds Apart'. There is a slight stumbling block in the middle, where an extraneous choir is unable to resurrect two of the worst songs from Jars of Clay's back catalogue, 'Revolution' and 'I'm Alright'. The group's instrumental chops are more apparent on stage than they are on record, while Haseltine's vocals are clear and strong. Also included is 'This Road', an excellent folkish piece that was previously only available on the City On A Hill compilation. The studio set has a very consistent acoustic vibe, that never rises above mid tempo. The remakes of 'Liquid' and 'Overjoyed' into reflective pieces are revealing, while the three new songs are all up to standard; 'Dig' is my favourite, with impressionist lyrics ("the earth is hard/ the treasure fine") and a sense of urgency. 'Needful Hands' is another excellent rarity, originating from the Exodus compilation. The set list for the two discs is drawn largely from their two strongest albums to date (their self titled debut and The Eleventh Hour) although Much Afraid's 'Hymn' is a surprise omission. Despite this, Jars of Clay display excellent awareness of their catalogue, placing key tracks 'Frail' and 'Worlds Apart' in prominent positions. After four albums and eight years, Jars of Clay were due for a greatest hits compilation, but Furthermore is far more interesting even if it's not as strong in terms of overall quality. This release isn't essential, although it's totally worthwhile for fans, but I've obtained a new level of respect for and confidence in Jars of Clay after hearing Furthermore.
Who We Are Instead(2003)You'd think that Furthermore would be a stopgap release and an indication that the group didn't have enough fresh material for a new album for a while, but suddenly Jars Of Clay are releasing new albums like there's no tomorrow. After The Eleventh Hour was their most hard rocking release, this goes into a different direction, almost pushing into country territory in places. And while The Eleventh Hour seemed like a bid for the mainstream, this record is less commercially oriented, with a feeling that the group have settled down into their little niche and are happy to produce albums for their already established following. Despite the occasional country twang, there's no real lack of continuity with their previous work - it's still lyrically honest and full of crafted harmony and melody. The most obvious change is in lyrical emphasis - it'd be possible to listen to The Eleventh Hour or If I Left The Zoo and not realise that the group are Christian, but this record's much more blatantly evangelical with titles like 'Amazing Grace', 'Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet' and 'My Heavenly'. Also covers appear for the first time on a Jars of Clay album - America's 'Lonely People' fits in fine with the rest of the album (surprisingly, for a secular cover it's one of the group's more overtly religious songs), and it's not very far from the type of songs that Jars Of Clay are writing here. 'Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet' is best known for the Gavin Bryars recording with a homeless man singing; it's fleshed out into a full song. Elsewhere it's business as usual for Jars Of Clay - the uniformity of the songs means it's not their most interesting album, but it's arguably their most consistent album in terms of songwriting. 'Show You Love' sounds like the single, but it doesn't sound like a breakout hit like 'Flood' or 'Disappear' could potentially have been. Instead this album is full of minor gems like the piano laden 'Jealous Kind', the gospel influenced 'Amazing Grace' and the soothing 'Faith Enough'. And there's almost nothing on the negative side - 'Trouble Is' is kind of awkward and 'Sing' is heading towards genericism, but this album is pretty solid the whole way through. To date it's a three way tussle for Jars of Clay's best record - whether the title goes to the arty originality of the debut, the inspired commerciality of The Eleventh Hour or the countrified consistency of Who We Are Instead is in the eye of the beholder.
Non Album Tracks Jars of Clay have an altruistic tendency to donate some of their best material to compilations. If you are a fan you will want to hear the outstanding 'Needful Hands' from the Exodus project, and the gorgeous piano driven 'The Stone' from City on a Hill. |
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Written 2001-2007, Graham Fyfe
