Hi, I'm the Grinch Who Sulked Through Christmas Past. Nice to meet you. A funny thing happened to me this year as the weather began to get colder, the shopping malls got a lot busier, and annoyingly familiar tunes started to blare out of supermarket muzak systems. A small part of me started to realize that just maybe, this year he didn't mind the alarming rate at which Christmas seemed to sneak up on him. Part of him still wants to dig a hole in the dirt (we don't get snow 'round these parts) and hibernate until mid-January or so, but thanks to the mostly admirable efforts of his musical heroes, he's finding that he's become a bit less of a cynic about the yuletide season. Because they've come up with a pretty decent holiday album that he's been listening to since mid-October.

Those musical heroes, of course, are the oft-misunderstood Christian rock band Jars of Clay, who you might be misled to assume from the bevy of five-star reviews I've written about them that I think they can do no wrong. So naturally, you'd say, "It figures that divad23 would make an exception to his normal loathing of Christmas albums for Jars of Clay's sake, as big of a raving fanboy as he is." And there might be some truth to that. Throughout their varied output over the 10 years that I've been a fan, the one constant despite all of their stylistic shifts has been their uncanny ear for a quirky pop hook, be it in the context of a hushed folk song, or a massive stadium-filling rocker, or a string-drenched, soul-baring spiritual ballad. They even proved to me that (for the most part) they could put a unique and reverent spin on classic hymns that they didn't write, as showcased on 2005's Redemption Songs. I had known for years that the band had their eye on a Christmas-themed project, but the repeated and unwelcome interventions of their label, Essential Records, kept this project from becoming a reality. Even though I've historically shunned Christmas albums by most artists due to their tendency to retread old ground and trade in creativity for the same sentimental mush (or worse, completely massacre classic carols by attempting to jazz them up), I knew that Jars' Drummer Boy EP, recorded way back in 1995 when they were wide-eyed newbie to the music biz, showed the kind of inventive promise that would make a full-length album a likely success. Instead, the label insisted on a worship album, which the band eventually delivered on their own terms, only to have it meddled with and only barely supported by the label when all was said and done. Thankfully, once the band completed 2006's stellar Good Monsters and the resulting tour, they managed to actually finish out their contract (how often does any band manage that these days?) and they opted to go indie, finally realizing their dream of recording a Christmas album that did justice to the sense of childlike wonder that they wanted so badly to capture.

But as happy as I am for the band that they finally got to fully realize this pet project of theirs, there were times when I was not looking forward to Christmas Songs. The rather bland choice of a title, combined with the ultra-cheesy album cover, which looked like it belonged on the cover of a children's book, seemed to indicate that the band was making the common mistake of pursuing sentimentality over creativity. I have nothing against being sentimental, but since Christmas doesn't bring the same cozy memories of huge families and epic romances that keep the heart warm and whatever relationship-oriented content most "secular" Christmas albums tend to focus on, I was worried that my favorite band was about to really alienate me. And to be honest, there are a few tracks where they managed to do exactly that, but once you get past those, I'm finding that Christmas Songs does in fact manage to get me into the right holiday spirit. Sure, they explore the simple, cheesy, sentimental side of Christmas by re-animating a few of the "supermarket muzak" type Christmas songs that have refused to die since before I was even born, but they also offer a creative and reverent take on the spiritual side of Christmas, and they manage to thoughtfully bring forward the emphasis of peace in a time of unrest and war that crops up time and time again in a lot of the classic carols. A few original pieces (including two instrumental tracks) round out the collection nicely, and I've got to say that it's a grower like most Jars albums have been, but by album's end you can feel the snowflakes falling around you and the bells ringing out their song of peace and joy, and all is right with the world.

Well, at least all is right with the world if you're not insisting on hearing Jars of Clay in "rock-out" mode. They managed to finally deliver their first "rock record" with Good Monsters (to the extent that it's even possible for them to fit into a single genre, which is something that I'm actually glad that they seem rather restless about), and while you'll hear a few loud, epic moments on Christmas Songs, this is largely a record that explores the band's gentler side, bringing in bells and strings and horns and choirs to place emphasis on the more victorious moments, while keeping things more minimal (with the occasional nod to Sufjan Stevens and to their own humble acoustic past) and taking the occasional left turn into genres you wouldn't expect them to explore. It's a bit of a mixed bag, in the same way that Redemption Songs was, but a little less earthy and more ambient this time around.

Unfortunately, the biggest duds on this album come one right after the other, and pretty much right at the beginning, so I'm going to sound extremely grinchy about this one for a while, until the band hits their stride at track 5. Hey, at least that goes to show that my love for this band isn't totally blind - they still have to earn their rave reviews the hard way, and perhaps I'm harder on them when they do something that I think "doesn't work". Just stick with it. Christmas Songs gets much, much better as you get deeper into the album.

The Gift of St. Cecelia
The first minute or so of the album is a lovely acoustic guitar instrumental, supported by bells and a solemn choir. It sets a peaceful tone that makes you want to light up the fireplace and curl up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa or something... and unfortunately, the effort spent to set that tone is almost entirely wasted due to the crapfest of a song that it leads into.

Wonderful Christmastime
The moon is right, the spirits up
We're here tonight, and that's enough...
Said crapfest is actually a cover of the perennial holiday jingle by Paul McCartney, one of those tunes that seems to crop up every year even though I've heard some rather vocal support for the notion that it's "The Worst Christmas Song Ever." According to a recent interview with Christianity Today, the band actually knew of its reputation, but guitarist Steve Mason forged ahead and encouraged them to cover it anyhow... so the big lump of coal ends up in your stocking this year, Mr. Mason! But the band felt that there was a good song underneath all of the cheesy late 70's production, so they attempted to bring the good song out of its shell by slowing it down to a more reflective pace and... giving it cheesy production. Guys, I'm not sure how this is helpful. Now there are these cheery keyboard notes that ring out in between each line of the drawn-out verses (with fuzzy synth bass in between, just to give it that "rubbery children's song from the 80's" sort of feel), and Dan Haseltine's attempt to deliver the song in a thoughtful tone is characterized by his insistence on making it impossible for those who know the rhythm and pace of the original song to sing along to: "Simply having... a wonderful Christmas... time." Seriously, it's agonizing, regardless of whether you loved or hated the original (I'm indifferent to it; Earthsuit did a not-too-bad version of it a few years back, but the core issue is that it's really just a song about feel-good dinner parties that relates to the subject of Christmas in name only). There are a few clever touches - I like the gentle bells that bring to mind a picture of snow gently falling during some of the choruses, as well as the way that they worked in a snippet of "We Three Kings" during the bridge. But none of that is nearly enough to salvage what is almost as big of a disaster as the disgustingly happy version of "It Is Well with My Soul" that they recorded for Redemption Songs. Most troubling is the fact that I can't blame the record label this time around. I suppose going indie is a double-edged sword.

Love Came Down at Christmas
Love will be our token
Love be yours, and love be mine
Love from God to all of us
Love for plea and gift a sign...
Following up that debacle is the song that's apparently being used to promote the album as a single (unfortunately) - a straight ahead, mid-tempo pop/rock tune that's apparently JoC's take on some sort of a children's song. (It may not be, but the tune and lyrics are so annoyingly basic, and there's a vocal tag at the end that certainly resembles a song I must've heard in Sunday School much earlier in my life, so it's hard to shake the idea that the whole song is of similar origin.) I like the way that Charlie Lowell's synths gently add ambience to an otherwise dry performance, and I genuinely love the way that the guys' voices all echo on each other during the all-to-brief bridge, but aside from that, I'm too bored with this one to make much of a comment. Its repetitive nature and overuse of the word "love" (as in "Love, a lovely love divine") are a major turnoff.

O Little Town of Bethlehem
We hear the Christmas angel
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide within us
Our Lord Emmanuel...
OK, now they've gotten around to covering a classic Christmas carol - this one's slowly become one of my favorites over the years due to its description of the Messiah entering a dark, cold, and lonely world in such a way as to slip in virtually unnoticed - the people of Bethlehem had no idea what they were getting with this little baby. Unfortunately, Jars went and committed one of the biggest no-nos of all time - they changed the melody. Due to that, it's been really hard to get over the gag reflex and take this version for what it's worth. They made it all moody and minor key, and I suppose that's not inappropriate to the mood of the song, but still, what makes this band or any band think that they have the right to supplant the original melody to a song like this that is so well known and loved? Does anyone actually hope to improve on a classic? What's most ironic is that the music, which is characterized by a dark, steady bassline, a steady acoustic strum, and space-age synths, actually sounds pretty cool - especially when it moves toward its climax later on and there's a mournful cello weaving its way through the collage of synthetic and organic sounds. It's music that should have been paired with an original song, rather than shoehorning a classic carol into such a foreign setting.

Hibernation Day
I'll take a day dressed in pajamas, in a room without a view
If I can spend the day curled up next to you...
I shudder to think that I just spent three song reviews in a row criticizing my all-time favorite band, so enough of that already. The album's first original tune is an honest-to-God winner, and it manages to do this despite taking the old-school Broadway approach and stopping just short of being a show tune. It's a sentimental, and almost silly, take on the same theme that brought us songs like "Baby, It's Cold Outside". And it's actually a bit sexy, too. The presence of a few woodwinds to give it that semi-jazzy "cabaret" sort of sound helps to ensure that, but the allure lies mostly in Dan's cute description of a day that he'd rather spend curled up in bed with someone he loves, rather than having to put on five layers of clothing and go out into the wretched cold weather. As pretty as winter weather is, I'm glad to finally have a Christmas song that acknowledges the sheer inconvenience of it! Just in case I wasn't already sold, there's a special guest handling the female duet vocals, one that was so out of its usual element that I would not have recognized it if not for the credit in the liner notes. It's Christine Dente, the heavenly lead vox for Out of the Grey. They were like, my favorite Christian music act before Jars of Clay came along, so to hear two long-time favorites from back in my high school years finally collaborating with one another is like the fulfillment of a dream that I would have never even thought to dream. Whew... is it getting hot in here or is it just my excited fanboy gushing?

Winter Skin
The band continues their ode to the winter weather, Sufjan Stevens-style, with this gently floating, meditative, and repetitive two-line song about putting on our winter skin and watching the snow fall. It's the perfect soundtrack for a late night walk trudge through a snow-covered forest, with its fragile, layered bells and piano. The only problem is that it's really an interlude that runs as long as the fully realized song that preceded it. We really get the gist of this after about a minute and a half. But its delicate ending provides the perfect launching point for a fade-in to another album highlight.

Peace Is Here
Angels sing in righteous envy
Kings of earth kneel by the throne
Born to push against the Fall
Far as the curse is found...
This one's the big, brave anthem of the project - it's also the closest thing to a "rocker" that you're going to get on this album. (I'm fine with Jars of Clay not rocking, just to set the record straight, since they proved with Who We Are Instead and Redemption Songs that they could function just fine emphasizing the folk end of their musical spectrum, but from time to time it is nice to hear them do something larger than life, and this track definitely fit's the bill.) This one is where the classic Christmas theme of "peace on earth" is rephrased in such a way as to acknowledge our thirst for peace in an era where we're all just a tad confused about why we have to live in an era of war. It's not a political song, but you can tell that the band wrote it with the current state of things in mind, just not as overtly as, say, John Lennon during the Vietnam War. It builds slowly and carefully, but there's a confident lead guitar melody that rings out over the landscape, and the drums and bells echo louder and louder as the song heads toward its climax, with the guys proclaiming again and again, "Gloria, gloria, peace is here!" One possible drawback might be the excessive "na na na"s during the bridge - they don't bother me all that much, but some might feel that they're out of place in a more serious song. The melodic staying power is through the roof on this one, though - I can't help but join in the celebration each time that chorus rolls around. Since the worshipful lyrics reference Christ without specifically mentioning His birth, it's only the "Gloria"s that tie it to the language we commonly understand to belong to Christmas music, so if the band really wanted to, they could probably sneak it into setlists year round. I promise I won't mind!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
From God our Heavenly Father, a blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds, brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name...
This one's the first redux of a song from the Drummer Boy EP - I loved the lush, acoustic, somewhat medieval feel of their original take on this old carol, so it seems like a real gamble to replace it with synthetic keyboard notes that merely outline the rhythm - but this one's another exercise in layering. It isn't too long before the wind whips up and a quick acoustic guitar strum arrives to support it while a cello echoes the verse melody, making the song feel like a blustery autumn day. Once the drums really get going, the band's got another ingenious climax on their hands, though it does come at the expense of one verse that I believe was in the original song. Is this better or worse than the original version? I can't say. But it's a totally new spin that thankfully doesn't alter the melody, and it stands up quite nicely on its own.

Evergreen
Either Steve Mason or Matt Odmark (I can never tell whose guitar parts are whose) takes us out for another awe-inspiring walk through the snowy forest, with a simple, glowing, three-note motif that continues through the entire piece, obliquely referencing the familiar song that it's leading into, while choral vocals and the woodsy sound of a (harmonica? accordion? I can't tell!) call out into the vast winter landscape. Bonus: The sound of crunching snow in the background brings to mind Bjork's song "Aurora" (from another new favorite "winter album" of mine called Vespertine).

Christmastime Is Here
Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there...
Finally, the electric guitar rings out (in slightly gritty fashion, playing against the slightly loungey mood of Jars' take on the song in a uniquely experimental way) with those three notes becoming the beginning of a familiar melody that you'll instantly recognize if you remember that old Charlie Brown special... yes, that's right, they're attempting to jazz up Vince Guaraldi. I recall a chorus of children solemnly singing this one from the days when I watched those Peanuts characters over and over on some VHS tape that my Mom recorded that old special on, and I also recall it being in 3/4 time, so it is admittedly a bit weird when the guitar teases at the original rhythm before the drums change things to a slow groove in 4/4. Despite my initial annoyance (why turn something to common time when it originally wasn't?), the song actually flows quite smoothly and turns out to be one of my favorites. I love the way that the conspicuously modern guitar sound plays off of the classic sound of the horns, and when those strings come sweeping through, it feels like a big warm fur coat being wrapped around you.

Little Drummer Boy
Little baby, I am a poor boy too
I have no gift to bring that's fit to give a king
Shall I play for you on my drum?
Here's the big remake that a lot of Jars of Clay fans were probably looking forward to (or dreading, depending on your point of view). To Christian music fans, it's tough to think of the song "Little Drummer Boy" without making mental reference to Jars of Clay's definitive version from 1995, so for the band to completely dismantle that version and start over is a risky proposition indeed. Much like "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", they went all keyboard-happy with the intro, allowing the signature acoustic guitar strumming sound to sit this one out, and bringing a vaguely military-inspired drum cadence slowly to the forefront, emphasizing the instrument that was always meant to be the focal point of the song. Programmed drums, which were an integral element of the original Jars of Clay sound, dominated their first version of this song and it fit pretty much naturally into their style. This time around, the programmed element is apparent, but it mixes well with the live drums, giving the song a "toy soldier" sort of feel. Still present are those two guitar chords which ring out after the first two lines of each verse - Jars of Clay's individual stamp in the original version that added some much-needed melodic punch without changing the actual melody of the song (without that, they'd be playing one chord repeatedly throughout most of the verses). Again, I can't say which version is better, but this one is as consistent and natural for the 2007 version of Jars of Clay (which is to say, it's unexpected while retaining their knack for quirky pop hooks) as the original was with the 1995 version of the band. So now they've got two totally unique and worthwhile versions of the same song under their belt, and somehow neither one feels inferior.

Gabriel's Message
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head
"To me be as it pleaseth God", she said
"My soul shall laud and magnify His holy name"
Most highly favored maid, Gloria!
The band dug up what sounds like a rather obscure Basque carol here, and gave it a spare arrangement that mostly consists of overlapping vocal lines (almost as if they're singing in rounds), with little bits of harp and acoustic guitar for embellishment. It's a short, but unbelievably sweet ode to the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, chock full of Ye Olde English, performed in a reverent fashion that doesn't pin it down to any specific point in time. As good at Jars of Clay has been at modernizing a few of these Christmas tunes, I'm glad that they decided to go classical with this one.

In the Bleak Midwinter
What can I give Him, poor as I am
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
What can I give Him, give Him my heart...
This is one of those slow, dirge-like tunes that I think was probably written to be that way, and would sound weird if you tried to speed it up or otherwise add any sort of energy to it. I normally hate songs that drag along in 4/4 time in such a measured fashion, but when you're singing about the bleakness of winter and the arrival of Christ at a historically dark moment in time, it would perhaps be less than genuine to go about it any other way. There's some sort of an organ softly humming in the background just to keep the guys on key in what is mostly a vocal performance, and later on we have the drums slowly stumbling in, as if the lights were off in the studio and the drummer was tripping over his kit moreso than actually playing it. It's definitely an "indie rock" sort of aesthetic, but it works. The guys do some beautiful harmony here, echoing specific lines of the last few verses in as heavenly of a choirboy tone as they can muster. I'm not sure if it beats the majorly obscure Kevin Max version of this song from over a decade ago (which was my introduction to this lesser known carol), or the almost equally obscure live performance by Five O'Clock People, but it at least comes close.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
And in despair, I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth", I said
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men..."
I'm really glad that Jars of Clay stuck to the Redemption Songs approach with this album, bringing some less common Christmas songs to the forefront just as they did with hymns a few years back, and considering what would fit their overall theme rather than just offering the bazillionth take on "Deck the Halls" or whatever. With another slow-paced, almost mournful tune, the album would seem to be coming to almost a dead stop at this point, but keep your ears open, because they're something majestic about to happen behind the simple quarter notes being strummed on the guitar and the twinkling, starry keyboard arrangement. The band actually pulls off a tricky-change up here between an instrumental refrain in 3/4 time and the verses of the song, which are performed in 4/4. It goes from the intimate - one man's honest musings on what it means to declare "peace on earth" when all he sees around him is war and hatred - to the universal, as God's words resound through those confident ringing bells, assuring each weary citizen that each Christmas, despite each one happening against the backdrop of man's sin, is a reminder of what Jesus started 2000 years ago and what He will complete in due time. The music, which has been slowly building towards one final climax, drops out almost completely as Dan is left to sing the final verse by his lonesome, and then a string section takes over for the final minute or so, taking that last prayer and lifting it up through the falling snowflakes to God above. It's an ending that is left unresolved in the musical sense, almost like there's an ellipsis, an unspoken "To be continued..." at the end as man waits for God's peace to become fully realized. It's like the ending of an indie film where the viewer gets to speculate on what happens next rather than being told, which I suppose is only fitting, since this is Jars' first album as an independent band.

Wow, I never thought I'd get that level of analysis out of a Christmas record, but Jars of Clay has a knack for the little production details that is shown in new ways on this record that perhaps wouldn't have worked on their more rock-oriented album. They've passed a difficult test by making such a unique Christmas album that impresses even a grinch like me (those first few songs notwithstanding). This one will definitely become a perennial favorite of mine that I pull out year after year, and so far Andrew Peterson and Relient K are the only other artists to achieve such a feat. Here's hoping that for Jars of Clay, this album merely marks the beginning of a long, varied, and critically acclaimed career as an independent band.

ALBUM WORTH:
The Gift of St. Cecelia $.50
Wonderful Christmastime -$.50
Love Came Down at Christmas $0
O Little Town of Bethlehem $.50
Hibernation Day $2
Winter Skin $.50
Peace Is Here $2
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen $1.50
Evergreen $.50
Christmastime Is Here $1.50
Little Drummer Boy $1.50
Gabriel's Message $1.50
In the Bleak Midwinter $1
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day $1.50
Total: $14

Band Members:
Dan Haseltine: Lead vocals, accordion, occasional percussion
Steve Mason: Electric, acoustic, steel and slide guitars
Matt Odmark: Acoustic and electric guitars, banjo
Charlie Lowell: Piano, keyboards , synthesizers
Jeremy Lutito: Drums (tour only)
Gabe Rushavul: Bass (tour only)

Websites:
http://www.jarsoflcay.com (Official)
http://www.jarchives.com (Fansite)

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: With Family