Jars of Clay is one of the most creative groups in CCM. They have never been known for doing things the simple, easy way. Fans were clamoring for a live CD as well as a best of CD to which many groups would respond by releasing two projects. Jars decided to do a double CD project that offered both live content and some of their best hits. Now, in light of their creativity, it's not much of a surprise that they did not go with the typical praise and worship project, featuring them covering some of the most popular praise and worship songs of the past few years. Jars of Clay decided instead to focus on hymns.
Jars has to be given credit for taking such a creative approach. They also did new arrangements of many of the songs, and created arrangements for some songs that did not have them before. For example, they put "God Will Lift Up Your Head" and "Hiding Place" to music for the first time. These are not the funeral dirges that you remember singing when you sang hymns in church. Jars has done a good job of keeping close to the original songs, and yet also managing to make them sound contemporary. Some songs have a bit of a bluegrass feel while others may are reminiscent of those old gospel choirs or even those small local gospel groups. Jars makes familiar hymns like "It is Well With My Soul" and "I'll Fly Away" sound as contemporary as anything on the radio today. None of the songs on this project sound out of date, which is a complaint that many have of hymns.
Guest vocals by Sarah Kelly and The Blind Boys of Alabama help to add another level of depth to some of the tracks. Kelly guests on "I'll Fly Away" with some great vocals. The Blind Boys of Alabama join in on "Nothing But the Blood" and "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand" adding a great gospel feel to the two tracks.
More and more groups are starting to release hymns projects. But Jars of Clay has managed to release a hymns project that can not only hold its own against their other releases, but is also one of the best albums of the year. Even if you aren't a fan of hymns, this is a must-have album.
4 tocks
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