The Trouble Is, They Don't Know We're a Folk Band Instead.
Written: Nov 04 '03 (Updated Aug 21 '04)
Product Rating:
Pros: The usual eloquent songwriting (for the most part), effective country/folk/Gospel influence on several songs.
Cons: Stripped-down sound may deter fans who preferred them as a rock band.
The Bottom Line: Highly recommended, as with any Jars album, but it might take some patience to fully appreciate. Definitely don't start here if you're new to the band.
divad23's Full Review: Who We Are Instead by Jars of Clay
Dear friends, that time has come once again. A new album from my very favoritest band, Jars of Clay, is about to release. And once again, I've been given the good fortune of getting hooked up with it ahead of time. Life is good.
Interestingly, it hasn't been as long of a wait between albums for these guys as it usually is. I seem to remember waiting for eons between the band's debut album and Much Afraid. From there, they continued a trend of waiting just over two years between albums, up until the year following The Eleventh Hour, which saw a huge spike in the band's productivity (thanks in part to the new studio they had set up for themselves). Less than twelve months after that acclaimed album came out, the band came up with the concert DVD 11ive and a double-disc retrospective called Furthermore. It wasn't long after that before fans were told to expect an album of all-new material in the fall. I couldn't believe what I was reading. All that time spent touring, and self-producing the majority of their work, and they still had time to write and record 13 new songs? No way!
Fear started to settle in as the release of their fifth album, Who We Are Instead, loomed closer. It started to dawn on me that usually when a band puts out new material that quickly, they're either being pressured to do so by their record label, or they're trying to fulfill a contract as quickly as possible to get out of a deal with said record label. Either way, the outcome tends to be rushed, and feel somewhat unfinished. But honestly, I should've known better than that. This is Jars of Clay we're talking about, isn't it? No slacking off here. This record is chock full of the same quirky inventiveness and poetic lyricism that we've come to expect from the guys over the years. And, as expected, it's a departure from their previous albums. (Is anyone not surprised by that at this point?)
I suppose I should explain that statement, since most people don't follow the band's musical trajectory as obsessively as I do. Who We Are Instead, like the best albums in Jars of Clay's catalog, shows us a different side of the band's personality that has only been hinted at in the past. This time around, we're getting a much folksier, bluesier, and more soulful side of the band than fans who understand them to be a Christian rock or alterna-pop outfit will be ready for. I know, you probably read somewhere that this disc would be a return to the roots of their first album. (Some bozo in PR says this every single time - I'm sure you Radiohead fans can relate.) If anything, I'd say that this album is a trip back beyond Jars of Clay's roots. Rather than simply returning to the generally simpler days of sprightly acoustic guitar strumming, clunky programmed beats, and omnipresent string sections, the band takes it a step further, upping the ante with a more diverse array of instruments, a bit of country influence, a splash of Gospel... Yeah, this is good stuff. And occasionally it still sits comfortably within the Christian radio-friendly vibe of their most popular work... but as always, the album manages to branch out beyond that.
Ultimately, it's a mellower effort than anything they've done outside of the first half of Furthermore, and this makes it even more of a "grow-on album" than If I Left the Zoo was at times. Despite a few flaws and odd cover choices (the band always gives us 11 original songs per album - they've just tacked on 2 covers this time, which is unusual for them), I can still say without a doubt that Who We Are Instead is a high-quality piece of work. It's also got some of their most overtly Christian lyrics since their debut... not that the message was ever completely buried on their other albums, but fans who are stricter on what defines a "Christian" album shouldn't find anything to gripe about here.
Sunny Days Winter, spring, is what love can truly bring
Ice turns to water, water flows to everything...
I must admit, it's not a good sign when the first words you hear on an album by your favorite band are strikingly similar to the first words of the theme song from Sesame Street. Don't worry, the tune is different, and the lyrics take a detour away from that particular neighborhood after a few lines. Overall it's still a pretty happy song, and it's perhaps the most optimistic they've ever sounded at the beginning of an album. The lyrics work with the bright instrumentation (mandolin and so forth), easygoing beat, and subtle harmonies during the chorus - basically what we've got here is a toe-tapping roots-pop song that radio stations would've eaten up 30 years ago. I'll admit, it all sounds a bit cliché for Jars, but they've written their share of emotionally difficult songs; they've paid their dues. (They're certainly more convincing in this mode than P.O.D.!)
Amazing Grace Well, I ain't got no life
And you know I ain't got no money
Just the faith of an empty hand...
In an atypical move for Jars of Clay, the second track comes close to bringing the album to a standstill. Understand that it's not a bad song (nor is it a remake of the old hymn that everybody and their brother has recorded at one point or another) - it's just a little weird to have a mellower song so early on. A little bit of the aforementioned Gospel influence shows up here, at first it's lurking about in the shadows as Dan Haseltine sings the first few lines with little other than a clunky programmed beat to accompany him, but as the rest of the guys chime in and Ashley Cleveland drops by for a slick guest vocal, it becomes a little more clear. Perhaps the style of Gospel in question is more Southern - at least that's what I think of when Steve Mason throws a little pedal steel into the mix. It's a relaxed song and yet it has a certain "sweaty" element in it that's hard to describe. I guess I'd sooner expect a line like "Amazing grace, I feel you coming up slowly" to come from U2 or Over the Rhine. But hey, it puts the band in great company. I just wish they'd saved this track for later in the album, since it runs over five minutes.
Lonely People Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup
You'll never know until you try...
This one really threw me for a loop! Jars of Clay went and covered a feel-good 70's radio hit by the group America. It's one of those songs that reveals its origins in its melodies (which the guys do a great job with, I might add) and its stubbornly optimistic lyrics that run the risk of not making much sense, but darned if they're not gonna get you to sing along. Alright, I'll be honest, the song is rather inane, and I always thought it was (what the heck is this "silver cup" they keep singing about and how does that cure my loneliness?), but I have a soft spot for it thanks to a friend who is totally obsessed with this era of music. As far as soft-rock covers go, Poco's "Crazy Love" worked a little better for the band, but I still enjoy their take on this one - there's a nice mandolin break near the end that makes me think Nickel Creek must've stopped by for a visit (nope, it's just Steve showing off again). I can't say what it's doing here, but oh well, it's fun.
Only Alive You're a sight for sore eyes and a newborn cry
In a year where there are so few...
Hmmm... gentle but moody song, 3/4 beat, slightly detuned piano... where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, "Sad Clown". One of the finest and overlooked songs in the band's catalogue. I don't think Charlie Lowell, the band's keyboard player, set out to make this song sound like that one, but just about anything keyboard-dominated that the band whips out is going to remind me of something from If I Left the Zoo. Lyrically, it's a fairly simple song of love, in which Dan realizes anew that a man's life is rather colorless and dull when he tries to do things his own way, apart from God. It's a more transparent sentiment than a lot of Jars' earlier work has conveyed, and having three slow-to-medium songs in a row will probably test a few listeners' patience, but I still think they're doing a good job so far.
Trouble Is I'll keep runnin' the other way
Me heart ain't built to stay...
OK, time to kick into high gear now. Well, sort of. The band never really rocks out on this album, so this track is the closest thing you're going to find to an upbeat, quirky favorite such as "Revolution" or "I'm Alright". Basically, what we've got here is an amusing experiment that takes some tasty slide guitar playing (think Steven Curtis Chapman's "Lord of the Dance"), a blues-inspired 12-bar sing-along that never gets boring despite its slight redundancy, and another programmed beat that hearkens back to their first album, and stirs all of those elements together into one of the most fun songs about spiritual depravity you'll ever here. These guys seem to be on the same wavelength with Derek Webb when it comes to that subject - only those who have been through tough times and found their faith intact on the other side will be able to fully appreciate a lyric such as "Can't find no rest for my soul/Can't find no rest on my own/Jesus told me so". Steve Mason and Matt Odmark deserve major props for their dual guitar work on this one. So does Aaron Sands, the band's tour-only bass player, who co-wrote this song with them (I think it's his first writing credit, but he plays some on this album too... why don't you just join the dang band already, Aaron?)
Faith Enough The land unfit enough for planting
Barren enough to conceive
Poor enough to gain the treasure
Enough a cynic to believe...
This is one of those subtle songs that you almost can't hear at the beginning. The subtle bass-and-drum intro (which is odd for Jars of Clay since they have neither a permanent bass player or drummer) builds slowly over a series of contradictory metaphors from Dan that culminate in a chorus about being "strong in the broken places". The band took their inspiration from an Ernest Hemingway quote on this one - it's always nice when a band can put an unexpected spin on the words of a classic writer. There's an overall tone of sadness to this one that gives it a strong country fragrance, but I don't consider that to be a band thing. All the same, it's not likely to end up as one of the more popular songs in the band's catalogue - it'll probably be one of those personal "sleeper hits" for me like some of the best stuff on Much Afraid was.
Show You Love We can drown in mixed emotions or walk across an angry sea
This is the cost of being free...
I guess I owe the band an apology for this one. I was having a bout of cynicism regarding the speed with which this album was produced, and when I first heard this album's debut single, I went so far as to declare it "barf-worthy". I decided not too long after that it was actually a pretty good song - it's just that the line "I'm gonna show you love in every language" left a bad taste in my mouth. Obviously, it makes for a catchy chorus that Christian radio will eat up, as did "I Need You" on the last disc, but I think this song runs a little deeper than that one. The brighter pop-folk hues of "Sunny Days" are back with a vengeance on this one, and interestingly enough, the guitar intro bears an uncanny similarity to U2's "All I Want Is You" (which incidentally, the band covered recently for the U2 tribute album In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa). Anyway, it's a fairly effective song about letting actions speak louder than words (hence the part about love in every language and words needing no form), and taken in the greater context of the album where man's pursuit of false love is exposed, it brings a breath of fresh air before diving back into the more confessional tone that dominates the album.
Lesser Things If the wind should shake this house apart
The cradle hits the ground with a broken heart...
I don't think any Jars album would be complete without one of those darker, more tense songs that you don't notice at first, but that reach out and grab you when you listen more closely. Such was the case with "Worlds Apart", "Portrait of an Apology", "Sad Clown", and "Silence" - songs that I wasn't all that thrilled with at first but that eventually grabbed me in a very powerful way. Opening quietly with an ominous chord progression played on the acoustic guitar, and some shuffling drums courtesy of Ken Coomer (who incidentally is Wilco's old drummer - these guys have connections!), this song speaks of the trappings of idolatry, or as Dan idolatry puts it, "Praying to the god of the lesser things". Charlie sprinkles in a little piano here and there, and some warbling noise that may or may not be an electric guitar adds a spooky effect... there are just so many layers to this song. The chorus asks earnestly, "Is there grace for a wayward heart?", and not long after, a harmonica break shows up, making me think that this would be an excellent album for my next road trip. And then, as if to offer a hint of the grace that Dan is pleading for, the chorus shifts effortlessly into a higher key, as if letting a brilliant light shine into a dark room. Yeah, this one's an instant classic. I can feel it deep down.
I'm in the Way If you think that hope was left behind
I picked it up a mile ago...
Hmmm... I hate to keep comparing Jars' new songs to their old ones, but this one is unmistakably similar to "Can't Erase It". Interestingly, though Counting Crows' drummer Ben Mize (who handled drums on If I Left the Zoo) takes care of some of the percussion on this album, once again it's Ken Coomer providing an interesting, and in this case quite lively, percussive backdrop. This one's got a jerkier guitar strum to it, and Dan's verse are oddly reminiscent of something I heard on Steven Delopoulos's solo debut earlier this year, but hey, those artists are all cut from the same cloth, so it's no big surprise. Lyrically this one seems to pick up where "Collide" left off, as if God is intervening, and assuring His weary child that all of the things he's done won't get in the way - rather, Christ is standing in the way between us and all that junk. Good stuff, even if the song I find myself comparing it to was a better one.
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet This one thing I know, that He loves me so...
So, has anyone here ever heard of a guy named Gavin Bryars? Apparently he's a composer who took a recording of a homeless man singing a simple hymn over and over for 72 minutes, and built an entire orchestral movement around it. I guess the band was inspired by that - they decided to record their own version. Thankfully this one only lasts for three minutes, but honestly, since the same simplistic lines keep looping around for that entire time with chiming keyboards and the like filling in the gaps, it starts to feel like a lot longer. It's like I've suddenly followed the band into Sunday School or something. I guess it's one of those things that supposed to be profound in its simplicity, but I seriously think it would've worked better as an interlude kept to one minute or less. I do like how it suddenly ends a capella as Dan sings "This one thing I know, that He loves me so" - that one line takes me all the way back to the simple chorus of "Liquid", the first song I ever heard by the band. (Which also turned out to be a misstep when they did a slow, acoustic version for Furthermore, but hey, you can't win 'em all, even if you are my favorite band.)
Jealous Kind I set my course to run right into danger
Sought the company of fools instead of friends...
Fortunately the band comes back strong on this track - it's a gentle piano ballad with a hint of cello (courtesy of their old friend John Catchings) that describes a side of God's persona not often discussed in Christian music. Perhaps we're just offended by the word "jealous" because we understand it to be an errant human emotion. Whatever the case, this song makes for a good follow-up by depicting man's familiar tendency to choose familiar misery over God's challenging grace. I love the reference to "turning over tables", partially because it's strange to use such a mellow song to describe the more passionate and violent side of God's love. Even more than that, I love the momentary pause that makes it seem like the song's about to end, before bringing in another verse complete with handclaps and Gospel-tinged backing vocals (Ashley Cleveland can once again be heard her). The song totally changes mood at that point, becoming a mellower version of "I'm Alright" minus the cynicism. Good stuff!
Sing Flood, water, rain crash down, soak the ground
Still I thirst for You...
This medium-paced number seems to be equal parts "Love Song for a Savior" and "The Edge of Water". It has a bit of the musical mood of the latter, minus the tasty banjo, plus some interesting bits of electric guitar, and it has a simplistic chorus paired up with more poetic verses, much like the former. It may not catch on as easily, but it's still a solid song of gratitude, and much like their big hit "I Need You", it seems to reference older songs in subtle ways, but that could just be my imagination.
My Heavenly I know it never feels right to let go of the safety
We're used to holding so tight
But there is a lion underneath these skies...
The album ends on a very mellow note (as most Jars albums do) with another piano-driven ballad, this time about a longing for Heaven and a realization that we are only making infinitesimal progress toward perfection until we arrive there. It's a good summary of the balance that the band has struck on this record between acknowledging the darkness and grasping toward the light, even if the song doesn't grab me as much as some of the others did.
It's interesting that the band is pictured standing in a field on the final page of the lyric booklet, with Dan holding up a kite and scanning the sky, and power lines can be seen behind them... maybe there's a subtle metaphor in the photography about wanting to fly but tragically being confined to the Earth by our fears. Jars of Clay has never been a band to beat their listeners over the head with a theme... instead their albums tend to have subtle themes that turn up in different ways with repeated listening. In a way, the themes that have shown themselves on this album are nothing new to the band, especially since they tackled comfort zones on If I Left the Zoo, human frailty on Much Afraid, and God's tendency to pull us out just when we think all hope is lost on The Eleventh Hour. Perhaps it all just feels a bit more human here due to the musical approach, where most of the electric and pop-oriented elements (save for the drum programming) have been stripped away. That might result in a slightly less consistent track listing, which means I can't do the normal fan boy thing and declare this their best effort yet, but in an artistic sense, I think it's a stronger record than The Eleventh Hour. So I'll let you decide whether this one's worth your while. If your favorite Jars songs have always been the more subtle ones, and you liked the more traditional turns they've taken in songs such as "This Road", "Hymn", "The Widowing Field", or pretty much anything on the first disc of Furthermore, you'll probably eat this one up. If you want a few more catchy radio hits, though, you might come up a little short here, and if you're looking for another "Flood", then just fuggedaboudit! If you simply want to share in the journaling process of fellow human beings inching their way back toward God and acknowledging their complete inability to make it on their own, then I think you'll find a lot to love here. Whatever you were expecting the band to be, though, just be prepared to find out who they are instead.
(NOTE: A "special edition" of this disc came with the bonus tracks "Tonight" and "Shipwrecked", the first of which is a fun, upbeat pop ditty and the second of which is a fragile acoustic ballad. Nice work, but I can see why both songs were left as B-sides. They're not as strong and they don't fit into the overall scheme of this album as well. That edition also features some extra multimedia content that I haven't been able to investigate since I don't have it.)
ALBUM WORTH:
Sunny Days $1
Amazing Grace $1.50
Lonely People $1.50
Only Alive $1
Trouble Is $2
Faith Enough $2
Show You Love $1.50
Lesser Things $2
I'm in the Way $1
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet $.50
Jealous Kind $2
Sing $1.50
My Heavenly $1
Tonight $1
Shipwrecked $.50 TOTAL: $20 (special edition); $18.50 (regular edition)
Band Members:
Dan Haseltine: Lead vocals, percussion
Charlie Lowell: Piano, organ, accordion, keys, background vocals
Steve Mason: Electric guitar, vocals, lap & pedal steel, National guitar, mandolin
Matt Odmark: Acoustic guitar, banjo, background vocals
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