At the 2006 Gospel Music Awards, Jars of Clay divulged their upcoming release, Good Monsters, would be their first-ever rock album. For a group that has earned three Grammys, recorded multi-platinum albums and pioneered the CCM movement by playing primarily acoustic, coffee-house folk music, it might seem tampering with a successful recipe poses the risk of alienating loyal fans and tarnishing an unblemished record. But as Robert F. Kennedy wisely said, \Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.""A_ Fortunately, Jars of Clay's daring voyage into uncharted waters succeeds, yielding a tidal wave of fresh, spiritually inspiring tracks that rival the caliber of their much beloved, triple-platinum eponymous debut album.
Good Monsters erupts with an unabashed attack of electric guitars in the first track, ""Work,"" blazing a path for their spiritual musings and testimonies of God's overwhelming grace. This electric fallout permeates the remainder of the album. The ethereal, devastatingly beautiful 'All My Tears'A_ conveys conviction in the afterlife, begging, ""When I go, don't cry for me / In my Father's arms I'll be,"" while the somber, stirring, lone acoustic track ""Oh My God"" portrays frustration with humanity and reflects personal shortcomings, disclosing, ""Sometimes I cannot forgive / And these days, mercy cuts so deep.""
Though their faith undoubtedly galvanizes and influences their work, Jars of Clay avoid didactic, sermonizing lyrics in favor of universal, visceral human emotion. They focus on the dizzying, mystifying nature of love and relationships in the lilting carousel ride of romance, ""Mirrors and Smoke,"" which laments, ""Love's a constant mission to a world you never spoke / Love, it keeps you wishing / My heart, it keeps me broke.""A_ Elsewhere, the rollicking title track addresses identity conflict, while the soothing 'Even Angels Cry' melts fears and evokes a pastoral, starry summer night.
Their emotional accessibility grants Jars of Clay an intimate trust and bond with their listeners that psychiatrists and lawyers couldn't buy. Good Monsters fuses their spiritual ruminations with steady surges of guitar virtuosity, flourishes of electronica and harmonious piano hooks to forge a triumphant collection of songs and melodies that will dance tirelessly on your eardrums before finally resting next to your memory's personal favorites.
