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who we are instead review
When Jars of Clay released Furthermore, it looked like they had wisely shed the myriad layers of production that sometimes obscured the beauty of some of the songs on their self-produced The Eleventh Hour project. Furthermore contained beautiful new acoustic guitar-based songs of faith, hope, and loss such as The Valley Song and Redemption. The guys continue along those same lines on their latest effort, who we are instead, but they add in a heaping helping of Nashville-influenced sounds. Fortunately, these Nashville sounds are derived from the Johnny Cash side of things, and not the hot country sound that doesn't sound much like country at all.
Even if you have been following Jars of Clay closely over the years, nothing could have prepared you for this interesting change of direction. Jars of Clay, a country band? Not quite, but there are heavy country, folk, blues, and bluegrass influences here. The entire who we are instead album almost feels like a giant roots-rock experiment, with a little southern-gospel flavor thrown in for good measure. Maybe this is just a short musical detour for Jars of Clay, as they seem to completely reinvent themselves from album to album. Of course, with a title like “Who We Are Instead,” maybe the guys are cutting to the quick and telling us that this is who they are, and that we're gonna have to get used to it.
The project kicks off with two lines almost verbatim from the Sesame Street theme song in the whimsical, upbeat Sunny Days This is about the last of the lyrical whimsy that you’ll hear, as the rest of the project, save for a few tracks sprinkled in here or there, is a pretty serious affair. The chorus of this song is extremely catchy, and we are also treated to a well-placed string break, great harmonies from Steve, and some funky keys from Charlie. This song is put together very nicely, and should do well at radio.
Get ready to change gears quickly on the next track, as Amazing Grace starts out very country sounding, and ends up as a bluegrass/gospel jam. The band takes a big chance here, and it actually works out well. This song has been very well received at the two Jars shows I’ve been to since Who We Are Instead was released. The group, with help from Ashley Cleveland and a gospel choir, really put a lot of soul into this one, and I think that’s what makes the song work. We also hear a hint of Steve’s R&B influences here in the drum machine and hand clap backbone of the track.
Right after you think Jars has been spending a little too much time in some of those old bluegrass haunts down in Nashville, we are treated to a perfectly polished acoustic pop rendition of America’s Lonely People. They did a great job of modernizing the song without changing things too much from the original tune. The break in this song will give you goosebumps, as it contains some beautiful freestyle vocal harmonies from the group, and a nice keyboard solo by Charlie.
On the next track, Only Alive, we’re jolted right back to the bluegrass/gospel Jars of Clay. Even though musically this is probably the simplest song on the album, it does seem to stick in your head. In what seems to be a hallmark of this album, there is another nice break with Dan playing a toy piano a la Sad Clown from the Zoo album, and some nice strings to go along with it.
The centerpiece of this album, the song that contains the lyric that the album title is taken from, is the southern rock-styled Trouble Is. This song cleverly juxtaposes a bass-heavy drum machine beat with some roots-rock sounds. The chorus is so fantastic on this one that you may find yourself skipping right ahead to listen to it by itself. This song leaves you breathless and wanting more at the end, which is part of what makes it so great.
The song Faith Enough changed dramatically in the hands of guest producer Ron Aniello. This song was played live before the album came out, and the live version wasn’t as much of a mood piece as the finished studio version ended up being. This final version is interesting, but it is a little slow getting started, and takes some getting used to if you are familiar with the live version from a few years ago.
More than halfway into the record, we are finally given the first single, Show You Love.This song has already been a success at Christian radio, and the band is also going to give this one a try on mainstream radio. It’s a great song to crank up and sing along to, so it has a chance of catching the general listening public’s attention.
The last six songs of the album feel to me like almost a mini-album in and of itself. They are all emotional pieces that feature interesting instrumentation and meaningful lyrics, while skipping most of the bluegrass/drum machine experimentation of the earlier tracks. These tracks bring some much needed continuity to the record.
We are treated to some very nice surprises in Lesser Things: a wonderfully poignant harmonica solo from Steve, subtly beautiful piano work from Charlie, and some interesting key changes and modulations. This is one of my favorite tracks on the record, and one that really grows on you more each time you hear it.
The emotional high point of the album, Jesus Blood Never Failed Failed Me Yet, contains one of the most affecting vocals ever delivered by Dan Haseltine. This song may be a cover song, but the band definitely made it their own with the lovely string break and the gentle bell sounds. The mantra-like lyrics and the easy going melody make this song ideal for meditation or quiet times. I've personally found this song to be extremely comforting after a long, hard day at the office.
Jars of Clay once made a statement that they would never attempt to write Love Song for a Savior, part II. Whether they did this on purpose or not, Sing to me really is Love Song, part II, as the lyrics even contain the line "sing another love song." They even seem to drop an obvious reference to Flood in the lyrics. Even if this is just a nostalgic musical journey, it works wonders for me. One of my favorite moments on the album is the "na na na" section of this song, which is a magical moment where words that mean nothing perfectly convey the feeling of falling in love with Jesus once again.
If you are familiar with all of the previous Jars of Clay album closers, blind, hymn, river constantine, and edge of water, the album closer this time around, my heavenly is a bit of a disappointment. It is a fitting closer, and works well in the album sequence and wraps things up nicely, but it just doesn't have that haunting quality that is present in their previous album closing efforts.
My only real criticism of the record is that probably due to the presence of a few extra tracks this time around (13 tracks instead of the usual 11 track Jars of Clay album), we are presented with the most uneven Jars album to date. Sometimes the shift in style from one song to the next is pronounced and hard to follow (e.g. “Sunny Days”/”Amazing Grace”). It may have worked out better to have 11 tracks on the album itself, and then four b-sides on the 2-disc special edition. The album just feels disjointed at times, and this is the first Jars album like that.
Overall, this project is a welcome return to a true acoustic based sound, coupled with strong harmonies, and a dash of experimentation. If the Jars keep coming up with songs as strong as Trouble Is, and Sing, they could probably start doing their songs Polka-style, and we would still be won over by their strong songwriting abilities and uncanny stylings.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
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| Jars of Clay contemplating nature around them in a "who we are instead" photo shoot |
Even if you have been following Jars of Clay closely over the years, nothing could have prepared you for this interesting change of direction. Jars of Clay, a country band? Not quite, but there are heavy country, folk, blues, and bluegrass influences here. The entire who we are instead album almost feels like a giant roots-rock experiment, with a little southern-gospel flavor thrown in for good measure. Maybe this is just a short musical detour for Jars of Clay, as they seem to completely reinvent themselves from album to album. Of course, with a title like “Who We Are Instead,” maybe the guys are cutting to the quick and telling us that this is who they are, and that we're gonna have to get used to it.
The project kicks off with two lines almost verbatim from the Sesame Street theme song in the whimsical, upbeat Sunny Days This is about the last of the lyrical whimsy that you’ll hear, as the rest of the project, save for a few tracks sprinkled in here or there, is a pretty serious affair. The chorus of this song is extremely catchy, and we are also treated to a well-placed string break, great harmonies from Steve, and some funky keys from Charlie. This song is put together very nicely, and should do well at radio.
Get ready to change gears quickly on the next track, as Amazing Grace starts out very country sounding, and ends up as a bluegrass/gospel jam. The band takes a big chance here, and it actually works out well. This song has been very well received at the two Jars shows I’ve been to since Who We Are Instead was released. The group, with help from Ashley Cleveland and a gospel choir, really put a lot of soul into this one, and I think that’s what makes the song work. We also hear a hint of Steve’s R&B influences here in the drum machine and hand clap backbone of the track.
Right after you think Jars has been spending a little too much time in some of those old bluegrass haunts down in Nashville, we are treated to a perfectly polished acoustic pop rendition of America’s Lonely People. They did a great job of modernizing the song without changing things too much from the original tune. The break in this song will give you goosebumps, as it contains some beautiful freestyle vocal harmonies from the group, and a nice keyboard solo by Charlie.
On the next track, Only Alive, we’re jolted right back to the bluegrass/gospel Jars of Clay. Even though musically this is probably the simplest song on the album, it does seem to stick in your head. In what seems to be a hallmark of this album, there is another nice break with Dan playing a toy piano a la Sad Clown from the Zoo album, and some nice strings to go along with it.
The centerpiece of this album, the song that contains the lyric that the album title is taken from, is the southern rock-styled Trouble Is. This song cleverly juxtaposes a bass-heavy drum machine beat with some roots-rock sounds. The chorus is so fantastic on this one that you may find yourself skipping right ahead to listen to it by itself. This song leaves you breathless and wanting more at the end, which is part of what makes it so great.
The song Faith Enough changed dramatically in the hands of guest producer Ron Aniello. This song was played live before the album came out, and the live version wasn’t as much of a mood piece as the finished studio version ended up being. This final version is interesting, but it is a little slow getting started, and takes some getting used to if you are familiar with the live version from a few years ago.
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| Dan Haseltine delivering the lyrics to a song from "who we are instead" at a 2004 Jars of Clay show in Chicago at the Vic Theatre |
More than halfway into the record, we are finally given the first single, Show You Love.This song has already been a success at Christian radio, and the band is also going to give this one a try on mainstream radio. It’s a great song to crank up and sing along to, so it has a chance of catching the general listening public’s attention.
The last six songs of the album feel to me like almost a mini-album in and of itself. They are all emotional pieces that feature interesting instrumentation and meaningful lyrics, while skipping most of the bluegrass/drum machine experimentation of the earlier tracks. These tracks bring some much needed continuity to the record.
We are treated to some very nice surprises in Lesser Things: a wonderfully poignant harmonica solo from Steve, subtly beautiful piano work from Charlie, and some interesting key changes and modulations. This is one of my favorite tracks on the record, and one that really grows on you more each time you hear it.
The emotional high point of the album, Jesus Blood Never Failed Failed Me Yet, contains one of the most affecting vocals ever delivered by Dan Haseltine. This song may be a cover song, but the band definitely made it their own with the lovely string break and the gentle bell sounds. The mantra-like lyrics and the easy going melody make this song ideal for meditation or quiet times. I've personally found this song to be extremely comforting after a long, hard day at the office.
Jars of Clay once made a statement that they would never attempt to write Love Song for a Savior, part II. Whether they did this on purpose or not, Sing to me really is Love Song, part II, as the lyrics even contain the line "sing another love song." They even seem to drop an obvious reference to Flood in the lyrics. Even if this is just a nostalgic musical journey, it works wonders for me. One of my favorite moments on the album is the "na na na" section of this song, which is a magical moment where words that mean nothing perfectly convey the feeling of falling in love with Jesus once again.
If you are familiar with all of the previous Jars of Clay album closers, blind, hymn, river constantine, and edge of water, the album closer this time around, my heavenly is a bit of a disappointment. It is a fitting closer, and works well in the album sequence and wraps things up nicely, but it just doesn't have that haunting quality that is present in their previous album closing efforts.
My only real criticism of the record is that probably due to the presence of a few extra tracks this time around (13 tracks instead of the usual 11 track Jars of Clay album), we are presented with the most uneven Jars album to date. Sometimes the shift in style from one song to the next is pronounced and hard to follow (e.g. “Sunny Days”/”Amazing Grace”). It may have worked out better to have 11 tracks on the album itself, and then four b-sides on the 2-disc special edition. The album just feels disjointed at times, and this is the first Jars album like that.
Overall, this project is a welcome return to a true acoustic based sound, coupled with strong harmonies, and a dash of experimentation. If the Jars keep coming up with songs as strong as Trouble Is, and Sing, they could probably start doing their songs Polka-style, and we would still be won over by their strong songwriting abilities and uncanny stylings.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
