Customer Reviews

Much Afraid

5 star:		(112)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I don't care if everyone is comparing 'Much Afraid' to the self-titled 'Jars Of Clay' from 1995. This album stands well on its own. However, as a new Jars fan, this is one of the best rock/pop albums I ever heard. I wasn't a fan when Jars Of Clay first emerged onto the Christian rock scene because I thought they were receiving too much publicity, and I thought Dan Haseltine's voice was too country-drenched. But now that I am... I'm wondering how naive I was! The reason I like this CD is because of the CD cover (everypage is a different color like someone previously mentioned), the vocals (persuasive, unique), the lyrics (I'm not big on lyrics but this one swayed me; Dan's words are thought-provoking), and the instrumentals (acoustic guitar-meets-electric guitar). They have this hard-edged rock-meets-country sound, yet they have drew me in with the techno/pop flavored "Fade To Grey." All the ones that are upbeat are great, and all the slower ones start off real slow, but gradually grow on you. The strong points of this album is my all-time favorite Jars song "Overjoyed" (quite big on melody), "Fade To Grey," "Tea & Sympathy," (a play on words- "Wonder why we tried/ For things could never be/ Play our heart's lament like an unrehearsed symphony), "Crazy Times" (arguably the most uptempo track with some serious strings), "Weighed Down" (insightful lyrics and rhythm), & "Truce" (a short, yet vigorous, dancey tune). 'Much Afraid' is a must for any Jars Of Clay or light rock fan.

I've read some of the other reviews and, since Jars is my favorite group, I decided to enter in a review, even though not too many people will probably read it. I agree with the people who said that Jars took some risks on this album. They followed up a triple-platinum album with one that is COMPLETELY different. At first listen, I didn't like it so much, and was dissapointed. But after further listening it became my favorite album of all-time. Although the lyrics are hard at times to understand, the same message that brought them to popularity still remains in this cd. Personally, songs like "Frail" and "Portrait of an Apology" have gotten me through alot. There are many out there who will say D.C. Talk is the best, or perhaps the Newsboys. I enjoy both as well, but they both lack the instrumental beauty that the four Jars-boys bring. Anyone, from any culture who has a love of music can sit back and enjoy an earfull of the amazing guitars, keyboards, drums, vocals and, if you listen, an accordian. If you want an album that brings beauty and a message, buy this cd. You won't be dissapointed.

After a stunning debut, Jars of Clay's sophomore CD goes somewhat of a different route, opting for more overdubbed tracks, and less of the drum machine. The result is an album that is better in my opinion. Many sonic textures exist, ranging from the orchestration in the sober "Frail", to the harder edges of first single "Crazy Times". In between, a variety of high points shine, including a folk-ish gem, ("Hymn"), pure pop songs, ("Five Candles", "Tea and Sympathy"), and subdued ballads, (the title track, "Portrait of an Apology"). The lavish outro harmonies of "Tea and Sympathy" turn a typical pop tune into something very pleasant to listen to. The thoughtful, slight-dance rhythm of "Truce" is quite intriguing, and the seemingly rhetorical "Weighed Down" recalls the first album's hidden song. At first glance, the album seems to lack musical coherence, but the quality of each song helps unite them all together, despite some noticeable experimentation. "Much Afraid" takes the band's talents, as evidenced in the first record, and adds many layers of musical color, creating a brilliant collection of songs.

When I receive this CD as a gift, I didn't really like it that much. However, the song style of Jars grew on me quickly. This CD is loaded with good tracks, one of teh few you can listen to straight through and not have to skip the duds. There are no duds on this disc. Overjoyed, Fade to Grey, Truce, Tea and Sympathy and Hymn are my favorites. The first three are very heavy on melody, and are fun to listen to. The other two are very poetic and powerful, and have some really good strings. Hymn is, in my opinion, the best on the disc. If you buy this disc for any reason, but it because its just good music.

This CD totally rocks. Everyone can listen to it. But if you're a Christian, it will have more meaning, especially the last song "Hymn." Awesome effort!

This follow-up to their self titled album is certainly different, but not in a bad way. Each song is a rich tapestry of great music and lyrics. One change that I noticed was the simplicity and great poetry of the first album was gone, replaced by complex rhythms and more suttle lyrics. One more thing: I noticed that some of the songs, including "Five Candles(You Were There) had no mention of God or Jesus even once, and to the outside ear could be interpreted as non-Christian music. I find this disconcerting because it is a sign of Jars of Clay trying to go more commercial and away from their roots.

This was one of the first Jars of Clay CDs I had the pleasure of listening to after I became a fan of the band a few months ago. They are truly amazing, and despite the critics and such, I think they did pretty well with "Much Afraid." It's not only a statement concerning the Christian faith in general, it's a very personal reflection on the band's feelings about reaching out to a secular world with a message of faith and hope. From what Jars has said in interviews they were very "much afraid" to make a follow up to their smash hit self-titled debut because they were mocked by the secular music audience for being too preachy and then scorned by the Christian audience for not being preachy enough...so through rough times, bouts of depression and a passion for Jesus Christ, Jars of Clay wrote some of the most honest, spiritual, poetic and overall some of the best music i've heard from them yet on "Much Afraid." The stand out tracks (in my opinion) are "Crazy Times" which is a painful reminder of the reality of heartache, "Tea and Sympathy" a great observation of a self-serving society, "Frail" a beautiful depiction of humility and "Truce" which is the most eccentric song on the album. Most have blamed the band's third album "If I Left the Zoo" for being the moodiest and the darkest album they've released. However, "Much Afraid" perfectly encompasses a season of despair and confusion, while still reminding us to keep faith. Great music with a powerful message...

a lot of people have complained about this one, but i think it's definitely one of the best they've made. people complain about this one being too overproduced, but actually it was the first JOC cd that altered his voice a lot, making it sound more "manly" and less "airy", which was a bad idea. dan haseltine's voice is so unique.. it almost has an eerie feel to it. they definitely did a good job in this cd by preserving the natural timbre of his voice.

also, the lyrical content is so thick and poetic. musically, it took some time for some songs to grow on me like five candles and fade to grey, but eventually they did. some gems are songs like hymn, portrait of an apology, tea and sympathy, and frail. my goodness, frail's lyrics are so intense..

if i was not so weak/ if i was not so cold/ if i was not so scared of being broken growing old/ i would be frail

wow. an accurate summary of christianity: to be frail and broken before God is to be strong. you will appreciate this cd for its well-thought out lyrics and its musicianship.

For some reason, the idea has become popular that Christian music is, by definition, of lower quality than "Popular" music. That may have been true at one time, but not any more. In the last decade there has been an explosion of Christian artists and subcategories, even introducing a bit of Christian Goth and Metal. Though still not all of these are wonderful, there are many, many more that are. At the forefront of the pack is Jars of Clay.

Their self-titled debut album was a promising blend of folk and alternative, slightly reminiscent of a simpler Dave Matthews Band. With this sophomore effort, the group goes for the gusto in a way that may surprise fans of the original album, adding a prominant electric guitar, as well as a full-out symphony in a few songs. So much new depth is added, in fact, that the new style may be unrecognizable to some.

Gone as well are the blatantly Gospel-inspired lyrics, replaced with beautifully atmospheric metaphors, helping to increase the cross-over succes of the album. This is not to say they have forgotten their roots; they have just gotten more crafty about how they reveal them.

This is truly a masterpiece album, atmospheric and poignant, plumbing the depths of despair while at the same time gleaming the one true ray of hope. Jars of Clay could easily stand comparison to such musical genius as The Beatles or Radiohead Espescially in this day and age where there is so much of the same thing, Jars stand head and shoulders over the crowd.

Excellent work... if you liked "Flood," you'll love this CD. Great, penetrating sounds, deep lyrics and easy on the ears... can be listened to all the way through over and over again. Definitely on my list of the top 100 CDs I'd have to have w/ me if I was stranded on a deserted island (with a solar-powered CD player, of course). ;-p