Almost everyone who listens to Christian Music today can still remember when they first heard Jars of Clay. For me the song was "Love Song for a Savior," and its simple but profound message combined with a captivating alternative acoustic folk style was a breath of fresh air in the sometimes sterile world of Christian music. However, that was almost six and a half years ago, and Jars of Clay is standing at the crossroads of their fourth album -- the album that will either define them as a continuing force in the evolving world of Christian music, or merely a band whose sound died with the nineties.

Faced with this challenge, the band responds in over-the-top style: They self-produced The Eleventh Hour, recording it in Stephen Mason's basement. Not satisfied with that, they learned the ins and outs of photography and film making, designed their own cover art and did their own publicity shots. The result is a mix of the careful songwriting and imagery of their early work with the ambitious production and edgier nature of their last album for a result that speaks its message with many different voices.

For those who were a little put off by the odd nature of "Goodbye, Goodnight" opening If I Left the Zoo, the first thirty seconds of The Eleventh Hour are sheer bliss. "Disappear" is a fine blend of the best flavors of alternative music brewed with smooth vocals and strong songwriting about the parts of us we want so desperately to hide. "Fly" and "The Eleventh Hour" also pick up this style, but the album is much richer than typical modern alternative rock. The band's fascination with industrial music and edgy effects really shows through on "Revolution," the grittiest song and a clarion call to those drowning in the apathy of the current generation. The first single, "I Need You," is really an excellent initial sampling of the album, running the gauntlet from almost dance percussion and tight harmony to acoustic guitar and an immensely singable melody all in one sitting.

Lyrically the band has returned to the heavy use of allegory and image that characterized their first album. Gone are the sometimes hollow monologues of recent material, and in their place songs like "Scarlet" use well developed literary themes for spiritual material. "Silence" paints a very visual picture, in meditative R.E.M. style, of the disturbing silence God sometimes lets us walk through. "The Edge of the Water" opens with the question, "Have you ever been haunted the way I've been by you?" and presents the thirsting need of a lover for his beloved.

The gem of this album, however, has to be "Something Beautiful". Opening with vocal harmony reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, the song proceeds to showcase a simple acoustic style in the context of six and half years of musical growth. What emerges is a stirring attempt to be immersed in God in the hope "that the outside might just bleed its way in" to change "something normal into something beautiful". This song will be your first favorite, and the one amateur guitarists will immediately start trying to learn, just like "Love Song for a Savior" from so long ago. I foresee this song being performed badly at many youth group talent shows, so enjoy it while you can.

The eclectic nature of The Eleventh Hour ensures that few people will like every song, but the songs are so well done that they are more likely to broaden your musical taste than make you reach for the skip button. Jars of Clay has solidified that they aren't just a band who defined a sound; they will continue to define and explore new areas of Christian music with the same introspective analysis everyone identifies with. Old and new fans alike should give The Eleventh Hour a listen.

--Kurtis McCathern

Source: GorillaForce.com