Jars of Clay

Item: Much Afraid
Author: David Martin

Much Afraid

(1997)

Reviewed by David Martin

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify YouTube Music

Label Essential RecordsThe Rebel Base2002

acoustic rock adult alternative alternative rock folk rock

Is there a CD in your collection that, every time you listen to it, you're forced to say to yourself, Wow, I can't believe how good this is!? Is this same CD generally misunderstood by a lot of the people who listen to it?

Such is the case with Much Afraid, the deliciously crafted second album from Jars of Clay. Writing about this album is truly a daunting task for an otherwise verbose reviewer. It's my favorite album of all time, after all. Even over their first album? you may ask. Yes, even over their first album. Don't get me wrong; the group's self-titled debut is a classic in the eyes of most critics and CCM fans out there, and it actually contains my favorite song of all time ("Like a Child"). But taken as a whole work, something about Much Afraid just moves me, even in its weakest moments. There's something about its delicate mixture of light and dark textures, its melancholy overtones, its refusal to be a carbon copy of the album that gave the band their success... It may sound cheesy, but to truly understand Much Afraid is to truly understand me. I feel that close to it.

It wasn't always this way. Like most fans, my expectations were high for this album after the splash their first one created, but after one listen, I was left scratching my head. What happened? All of the musical elements that really made their first disc stand out from the crowd - the programmed drums, the strings, the catchy guitar strumming - were scaled back in order to let more complex lyrical and musical structures shine through. Real drums and electric guitars found their way into the mix. It almost threatened to make them sound like a typical rock band, but something was still very different, very unique. Were they trying too hard to experiment? Were they refusing to be upbeat and catchy on most of these tracks on purpose? At first, it seemed so. But blame it on a particularly memorable phase of life that concurred with the release of this album, or blame it on my introverted and hopeless romantic personality quirks - whatever the reason, these songs became lodged permanently in my brain and would not let go. And now I'm going to make my best attempt to help you to discover them, whether you're new to the band or you've loved them for years but just never gave most of these songs a fair chance.

"Overjoyed"

The signs that the group has mellowed out may hit immediately upon hearing the initial guitar strums and Dan Haseltine's delicate vocal delivery, but those opening lines, "You name me, who am I?" certainly come across with urgency in the first few seconds of the record. Right out of the box, the guys have given us a tougher song to understand than anything on their debut, and despite its skimpy length (at under three minutes, it's the album's shortest track), it has a lot more to offer than meets the eye. Unorthodox chord changes and a bright chorus with a generous splash of cymbals define the new Jars of Clay sound as Dan's cryptic lines attempt to describe the joy of Christ's redemption. This is a song about self-image - the "mirror spins wicked tales" when we examine our own humanity in light of God's perfection. There is a passion in this song that urges us to see ourselves as God does - He's crazy about us. To truly realize that would draw out a joy in us that can't help but spill forward to others. This is my passion as a Christian, even though I fall short of it - that my life would be a natural echo of His love, completely undeserved by me. At each misstep, Christ is there to remove the blemish from my name, to free me from the image I have of myself.

Missing the me from You, You gave to me / Don't like the one I have created today / Crossing nameless from the one I've earned / To be the one, the one you gave to me

"Fade to Grey"

When the group released their indie debut, Frail, back in their college days, an early version of this song was included, and to the surprise of a few early fans, it didn't make the self-titled debut. Featured here, it's probably the closest thing to the old Jars sound to be found on this album, but it's got a few twists to keep it fresh. As a steady programmed beat works its way in, subtle organ tones (courtesy of keyboard whiz Charlie Lowell) set the mood while Dan sings a slightly revamped version of the lyrics he wrote a few years prior. Though the song is a solid rock track (especially for percussion fanatics like me who love the combination of programmed drums and live drums) and the most instantly catchy thing on the album, it's one of the toughest to decipher lyrically. I believe it's trying to dispel the notion that we have to have everything figured out - all the black and white - before we can approach God. So many Christians are afraid to sin that they won't even move - not that we should enjoy sin, but it's amazing how this fear of imperfection can paralyze our spirits and keep us from maturing. The music captures this tension between wanting to be holy and wanting to simply be honest before God perfectly with the strings that swirl around during the first chorus (which does a wonderful job of faking you out by using only part of the lyrics), the quick but subdued guitar strumming, and the razor-sharp a capella ending that has provided a killer transition into "Flood" in Jars concerts past.

It's in despair that I find faith / It summons the night to bow down today / If ignorance is bliss / Won't you save me from myself

"Tea and Sympathy"

The stark opening of Dan singing "Fare thee well" makes for an odd but effective transition out of "Fade to Grey," and should be more than adequate to tip the listener off that this song is about a breakup. Or at least, a tentative breakup. I think enough of us have been in the uncomfortable situation of knowing a boyfriend/girlfriend is getting ready to call it quits and pleading for them to hold on to feel the pain described in this song. Taking more than a few hints from the Beatles (and likely PfR), "Tea and Sympathy" is a strong ballad which may seem to slow down the record at first, but ends up winning over sentimental fools like me with its rich strings and harmonies, and a few clever key changes. Dan's lyrics paint a picture of a couple trying to "work it out" over a cup of tea, but failing to provide the right words to get much of anything accomplished. Great metaphors abound. As much of a tear-jerker as the seemingly hopeless plea for a jaded lover to stick around may be, let's not forget the greater meaning behind this one - "Don't trade us for tea and sympathy" doesn't just apply to romantic relationships. When conflict arises, it's easier to sweep things under the rug and say "Oh well, too bad" - to trade real love for politeness.

Fare thee well / The words the bag of leaves that fill my head / I could taste the bitterness or call the waitress instead / 'Cause she holds the answers / Smiles and asks one teaspoon or two

"Crazy Times"

It took a long time for this song to truly impress me. It seemed at first like Jars of Clay doing the obligatory straight-ahead rock song just to prove they could use an electric guitar and get a viable single out there to kick the record off. Digging deeper into its musical layers, I can see how Matt Odmark and Steve Mason play off of each other on the acoustic and electric guitars, creating a balance between the quiet sadness and rage that alternately plague the character described in this song. Dan sings to a girl who is down and out in this song - she's got a strange penchant for getting into crisis after crisis. She's a sympathy junkie - she loves to let the tears well up and make empty promises that this time will be the last. The song seems written not out of anger, but out of tough love for this girl. While it's still not one of my favorites and I didn't get the video at all, I see now how this piece fits into the puzzle that is Much Afraid.

It takes more than your saline eyes / To make things right

"Frail"

Recognize this one? It started out on the group's indie CD as a haunting instrumental. The brilliant acoustic finger-picking pattern remains, but now it's backed up with some intriguing lyrics, as well as strings and even a few whispers in the background here and there. Some say that the lyrics seem forced or tacked on as an afterthought, but I think they fit in well with the mood of the piece. While being a bit tough to decipher, I think that "Frail" deals with the Biblical concept of the weakest being the strongest, the first being the last, however you want to put it. Those who rely on their own strength are really weak in the eyes of God, and it likely stems from some sort of underlying insecurity. That's just my hunch; there's probably a lot more I still haven't uncovered. It may seem a bit long at over seven minutes of mostly the same guitar pattern, but what a classic acoustic piece this has now become!

Exposed beyond the shadows / You take the cup from me / Your dirt removes my blindness / Your pain becomes my peace

"Five Candles (You Were There)"

Anyone who's followed Jars for a while knows that they write a lot of songs in the studio that don't make the cut when it comes time to put out an album. Often, these songs are used for soundtracks. In this case, the boys were asked to write a song for the movie Liar, Liar, only to have it dumped when last-minute script changes made the song no longer make sense in context of the movie. However, knowing that information ahead of time helps us to understand that this peppy mid-tempo number is about a young boy struggling to love a flaky father. This father seems to rely on gifts to buy the child's affection, but fails to show any real love to the child. Lyrics like "I would jump if I knew you'd catch me," and "Empty boxes on the floor, things I never asked you for" really hit home for people like me who have dealt with an absentee father. The musical landscape is a little more bright here, rich with acoustics and almost playful in its depiction of the little boy's point of view. It's intriguing that despite pointing out that the father is a slacker, the chorus makes the point of saying, "You were there when I needed you, you were there when the skies broke wide, wide open."

And I can't see the promise of / Excuses you fall upon / So I pray to God, not holding on / To things you've left undone

"Weighed Down"

Hey, wait a minute, aren't those the exact same chords used in "Four Seven," the hidden track on the first CD? The thought of Jars of Clay stealing their own musical idea rather amused me the first few times I heard this track. Of course, they're not really ripping themselves off here - just reusing a musical framework to continue a thought. Where "Four Seven" essentially explained the band's name and launched into a joyous jam session, "Weighed Down" seems dampened, less concerned with impressing the listener. It chugs along on those familiar chords, sprinkling them with subtle electric guitar strokes and vibey keyboards. Dan's lyrics lament a world in which the light has faded, the passion is gone, and God is severely underestimated. As if to purposefully let down the listener, the song trails off into nothingness at just the point where you would expect the rock factor to kick in after becoming familiar with "Four Seven."

Our hearts, a bubblemaker's dream / Moved on my winds of everything / As we deny that love is still the king / Not as weak as we make him out to be

"Portrait of an Apology"

Musically, this may be my favorite track on the CD, due to the rich layering of guitars, vocals, and strings, and the inventive chords the band used (this didn't become apparent to me until I learned to play guitar, of course). A catchy ¾ strum pattern introduces the song as Dan sings from the point of view of a painter, lamenting a mess he's created. It might be hard to tell if not for the title, but the "picture I've painted" here is his attempt to explain a sticky situation. Apparently he's offended someone and despite his best attempts to talk his way out, he just digs himself in deeper. Boy, can I relate! The other boys in the band take turns echoing Dan during the chorus, which provides a nice waterfall effect to keep the song flowing. "Could you stay for a while/ and try to imagine this?" Dan sounds truly desperate on the chorus - a lot of fans may write this album off as mellow, but that's because the intensity of tracks like this one isn't usually apparent from the first few seconds or so. It's one of the most beautiful songs ever written, in my opinion, and it's sad that the boys will probably never return to the style of this album again.

Try to explain the way that the frame / Doesn't quite fit the image or surround the edge / It stands on display, so what do you see / Behold all the new grey, what's become of the old me / Cause I remember it much redder / And I remember it much brighter

"Truce"

Another cryptic song is up next (the boys are full of 'em!), this one starting off with brooding keyboard chords and leading into an odd dance beat. Jars attempts techno? No, I wouldn't call it that, but it's definitely danceable, and it really shows off what Charlie can do with those keys. This one seems to expand on the theme of "Fade to Grey," affirming that there is a great distance between us and God and that it is entirely up to Him to meet us more than halfway across that chasm. The farthest we can reach on our own is "always almost never close." This song has a lot of interesting quirks that would almost make it right at home on the band's 1999 album, If I Left the Zoo, mainly because Charlie really got his chance to shine on that record. The one difference would be that the production here is more slick, where Zoo was more purposefully rough around the edges. I love how the song misses a beat when sliding from the bridge back into the chorus, and the guitar effect that squeals and vanishes, ending the song rather abruptly.

Unsatisfied with simple things / Entangled in the chords, I can't take any calls

"Much Afraid"

Just to further throw us off, the album's title track is a total 180 from the fast and futuristic sounds of "Truce." It takes on a slow, swaying beat, not too far removed from something you might hear in a Southern Gospel song, except more poetic and folksy. The accordion gets a little bit of airtime in this song - it's similar to the song "This Road" that the band later recorded for City on a Hill. The song takes on the point of view of the character Much Afraid from a well-known work of Christian literature called Hinds' Feet on High Places. This is an individual who is haunted by demons of fear and doubt - who is afraid to show love because he/she might get hurt again. A lot of Jars of Clay fans misunderstood this album because the outlook seemed so dark and dreary, but they clearly missed the bold declaration in the chorus - "Sweet Jesus, You never, ever let me go." For a band poised to make a mark on the mainstream rock world after the huge success of "Flood," it would seem wildly inappropriate to pose a song like this one as the album's title track. All the more reason for Jars to go ahead and do it! Dan does a magnificent vocal job on this one - it really tests his vocal range and you can tell he's got a genuine passion for the things he writes and sings about.

So happy to love, yet so far to go / You lead me on to where I've never been before

"Hymn"

The third song on the album to feature a ¾ rhythm, this one seemed too similar to "Much Afraid" for me to distinguish at first, and so it took me a long time to get into. It's about as stripped-down as Jars of Clay gets, relying on an acoustic guitar, accordion, and a mandolin (there might be a fiddle in there somewhere too). It's the band's attempt to write a worship song (remember, this wasn't a trend back then) in the language of some of the church's classic hymns. Ever notice that hymns have more plentiful and often deeper lyrics than modern praise songs, if you can get past the archaic language? That's the effect that Dan is going for here, and it works quite well. It has a definite atmosphere of reverence, and an interesting way of making even the morbid thought of death sound beautiful, if that makes any sense. The lyrics are very original and yet strikingly memorable, especially the bright refrain, ending in the appropriate line "Spring worship unto Thee." The music kind of reminds me of springtime. Though often overlooked, it's actually one of the best-suited Jars songs for corporate worship.

Not silhouette of trodden faith / Nor death shall not my steps be guide / I'll pirouette upon my grave / For in Your path I'll run and hide

This CD definitely has to grow on you - you may get bored with it at first. Take some time, ponder the lyrics, and listen to the captivating musicianship - it's not designed to jump out and impress you, but to soothe you and make you think, in its darkest moments ("Crazy Times", "Tea and Sympathy", "Weighed Down") and in its lightest ("Overjoyed", "Hymn", "Five Candles"). Even if the band themselves has admitted to veering from the standard Jars of Clay sound on this album and Zoo (and later supposedly returning to it for their fourth album, The Eleventh Hour), I think it was a musical detour worth taking. The fact that Much Afraid takes the road less traveled makes me that much more excited to be in the minority of Jars of Clay fans who consider this their best album.

Please do yourself and the band a favor - don't write this one off as a sophomore slump like so many fans have. I may be extremely biased, but I think it's the darn greatest CD ever recorded. And that's gotta count for something!

David's Score: 5/5

Josh's Score: 3.5/5

Nathan's Score: 5/5

Mark's Score: 3.5/5