Jars of Clay and Good Monsters
Why this 2006 album stands the test of time
Jars of Clay is one of the most interesting Christian bands to ever exist (at least, in my opinion as a sometimes-connoisseur of this genre). Their earlier albums and songs were essentially all-out praise and worship material. But as the years passed and the band grew, their lyrical themes and musical styles (yes, the plural here is accurate) began to shift. The lyrics didn’t shift away from Christianity, but the scope began to broaden
Sitting roughly in the middle of the Jars of Clay discography, the album Good Monsters stands as the band’s best work and an indispensable attempt to reconcile a deeply flawed world with the hope and promise of Christianity. The lyrics are what set it apart, but the entire project is worth listening to.
I could write a lot about the parts of Good Monsters that I love: the driving desperation of “Work,” the bouncy hooks of “Dead Man (Carry Me)”, or the upbeat rhythm of “There is a River.” But what really keeps me coming back to this project is the tone, both musically and lyrically. There is both joy and desperation to be found here. Nothing about being a Christian is idealized, but there’s plenty of hope for the future as well.
Nowhere are the merits of this mature tone more evident than on the song “Oh My God.” It’s a musically simple song (one so simple that I can approximate playing it myself) that uses just a few guitar chords and some simple backing instruments. Lyrically, it’s about doubt and faith, the brokenness of humanity, and how God is ultimately the only place to turn in the end. There are plenty of Christian songs that touch on these ideas, but there’s a vulnerability here (accentuated by the acoustic instruments) that few other bands can match.
“Oh my God, look around this place,” the song begins, “Your fingers reach around the bone, You set the break and set the tone.” The rest of the song looks at the fallenness of the world, “While I lay, I’d dream we’re better, scales were gone and faces lighter, When we wake we hate our brother, we still move to hurt each other,” crying out to God for answers. It’s similar to many of the Psalms in some ways, a quiet cry to God for help.
“Light Gives Heat” is another excellent example of lyrical depth. It’s a critique of how Western churches often view African nations as weak, helpless, and unable to build their own churches or communities. But it’s also not purely accusatory. Singer and lyricist Dan Haseltine said as much in an interview: “So that song is part critique of the way the Western world has approached Africa; and, then, the other side is our confessional, trying to be repentant of what we have done to perpetuate some of those bad forms of seeking justice.”
These two songs aside, there’s also plenty of hope to be found in Good Monsters, and that’s what I think elevates it to a level that few other Christian albums can match. “There is a River” is a reminder to take hope, while “Even Angels Cry” offers comfort and consolation. The music itself is good, too. There’s no incredible display of artistry or musicianship, but all of the band members know how to play together and everything just fits at the end of the day.
I’ve found myself coming back to music I loved in high school lately. I know all the theories about why we return to some of the first music we love, but I have to admit that many of the first songs and albums I put on my iPods were terrible. Not so with Jars of Clay and Good Monsters. This is an album for the ages.
Notes:
- I fully realize that there’s probably little appetite out there for reading retrospectives on 2006 Christian rock albums. This was just on my heart and I wanted to write it.
- For me, Christian music can be hit-or-miss, but when it’s good, it’s really good. Josh Garrels and Needtobreathe (who I may write about soon) are good examples.
- I’m not really an expert on the rest of the band’s discography. I know many of their other albums have been well received, but the only one I’m familiar with is The Long Fall Back to Earth (which is excellent as well, but much different musically and tonally).
- Haseltine also runs a nonprofit, though I know very little about the band members outside of these two albums.
The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
