Jars of Clay’s new album “Good Monsters� hit the stores with a different attitude compared to the last two albums they have produced. The new album is well done, original, and plays a little harder than their previous discs. They decided to experiment in their last few albums, but Good Monsters calls back on what made them popular to begin with. It sounds like all the previous albums were mixed into one; all of the experimenting into one final product. Songs like the new hit single “Dead Man� show how much harder they have gotten compared to the last few albums. No song sounds the same, just like no album of theirs sounds the same. “Light Gives Heat� starts with a child singing in an African language and with obvious expression of their struggles with the issues in Africa as Americans. Before the production of their self recorded album, Jars of Clay had done a lot of traveling around the world and talked to a great deal of people in many cultures; this album seems to be a reflection of that.

Dan Hastletine said, “I was not sure how all of the experiences of the last few years would translate into music. There have been so many things to look at and describe. This record is part confessional, part euphoric love poem, part bitter separation, and part benediction. It was born out of many experiences and conversations between addicts, failures, lovers, loners, believers, and beggars. And so the language of recovery and the honest discourse about our attempts to live apart from God and apart from each other is a theme. 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.�

Lyrically, the Jars seem more spiritual than ever, and proves able to reach the mainstream market. My favorite track is, “Oh My God�. If the previous quote from Dan states the focus of the album, this song summarizes it all. A song about the world we live in and what we truly face. It’s a great song considering the truth in it is hardcore. The album is soaked in spiritual content and the music tends to have aspects of all kinds; especially harder rock and folk. If there is one thing true to say about Jars of Clay and a reason of their remarkable success is that none of their albums sound the same. This shows their unprecedented artistic ability to innovate...which keeps them at the top of the game. Go grab this record, it is definetly worth the money.

Rating: 9/10

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