JARS OF CLAY
The Long Fall Back to Earth
(Gray Matters/Essential)
****
Great musical acts know how to reinvent themselves—to push through the familiar to create something fresh without losing what their fans love in the process. A listen back through Jars of Clay’s discography reveals a band always moving forward, reformulating its sound and crafting lyrics that prompt the listener to see the world more clearly. After the successful rock-focused Good Monsters, Long Fall Back to Earth occasionally sounds like the completion of the circuitous path the band began 14 years ago, referencing other career highlights (their debut, The Eleventh Hour) while plowing ahead.
This album would have been a treat anyway, but coming after a year in which so many “big event” records have disappointed (Coldplay, Keane and U2), Long Fall Back to Earth sounds just that much better.
