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Jars of Clay - Good Monsters
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Jars of Clay: Good Monsters Label: Essential Records Sound/Style: Experimental Christian rock with heady, introspective lyrics A descriptive phrase like “Christian rock” has certain shortcomings that come into sharp focus when the label is applied to the work of a group like Jars of Clay. It isn’t a completely incorrect term, but neither is it comprehensive enough to address the contents of the band’s recorded output. Perhaps because the group became ensnared in a somewhat absurd controversy between secular and Christian fans almost from the beginning, Jars of Clay has grown gifted at musical shape-shifting, presumably to avoid being tagged as either a Christian or a mainstream act. They can legitimately lay claim to both descriptions. The band’s ability to morph is perhaps the centerpiece of their new album, Good Monsters, which contains a diverse blend of musical influences that finds them creating modern rock, rustic-tinged sounds and atmospheric offerings with equal skill. The downside of their stylistic flexibility is the lack of a distinct and recognizable thumbprint on their work, while the upside is the subtlety, artistic reach and experimental freedom that can be heard across the record’s dozen tracks....full text |
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| Christianitytoday |
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Jars of Clay always seems dogged with talk of "returns"—returning to the sound of their landmark 1995 debut, returning to more "fun" songs, or in the case of this album, supposedly returning to their rock roots. Seems like people keep expecting this band to go backwards, when it's so much more interesting to watch them press forward. Though Jars never strays far with their sound, they're continually pushing themselves, offering just enough experimentation to give a different character to each of their releases. That's not to say that Good Monsters is a radical departure for the band. Musically, the album combines the alt pop/rock of 2002's The Eleventh Hour and the Americana style of 2003's Who We Are Instead. Some of the songs are even reminiscent of what they've done before. For example, despite a slightly more country feel, "Even Angels Cry" resembles Eleventh Hour's "Silence" as an ethereal ballad that offers comfort amidst grief. And while the album is indeed a return to rock, there's nothing quite as loud or furious as "Revolution" or "Flood."...full text |
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| Christianmusic |
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Exploring, if you will, the yin and the yang of the human experience,"Good Monsters" digs deep musically and emotionally, offering twelve punched up tracks of melodic rock that both excite and soothe. From the first electric moments of edgy opener "Work," you know Jars have taken a different path on this project, and their pleasure in stretching out is contagious, spilling honesty and fresh liberty over every alt rock track. "Good Monsters" is stripped down Jars emotionally speaking. The new material is less lofty, gritty in theme while esoteric in expression. Frontman Dan Haseltine says, "Engaging people who are doing the hard work of laying their lives open to others and avoiding isolation has allowed me to see that there is both immeasurable evil and unfathomable good mixing under my own skin and it is grace, mercy and freedom that allow me to not simply be a monster, but to be a good monster." It is this dichotomy that Good Monster revels in, with the very adept help of stellar guests Kate York ("Even Angels Cry"), Leigh Nash ("Mirrors and Smoke"), and the wonderful African Children's Choir ("Light Gives Heat")....full text |
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