It's been a while since I was truly excited about one of my favorite bands releasing a new record.
I think a large part of that is that albums don't carry the same weight that they used to, sure there are some exceptions. A true, concise record, a complete work of art just doesn’t really exist any more. The point of saying this is not meant to be a commentary on the state of the recording industry, I’m sure that will come at a later date, but to introduce the album that I am truly excited about.
I have been a big fan of Jars of Clay's music for quite a while, I still remember the summer before my freshman year of high school, sitting in my best friend Ethan's room listening to songs like Liquid, Flood and Crazy Times for the very first time. And I have to say that their last record "Good Monsters" has been my favorite record, second only to their third album, "If I Left the Zoo."
But there is something about this new record that has grabbed me and will not let me go. I have only heard bits and pieces and yet these fragments speak of the larger vision and heart of this record that is unlike anything I have seen or heard in a long time.
I think, if you will pardon the overused expression, that the reason for this is because this is where the rubber meets the road. They have descended from the perspective at 30,000 feet and examine life, love and social justice on a personal heart to heart level.
As a musician and a songwriter I strive to write about the things that move me, love and heartbreak, life and how the events and the very process of living affects and molds me and those around me. More importantly I want my music to carry a certain weight, I want it to mean something.
This is a very sensitive point for me in particular at this point in my life for several reasons as I am extracting this new batch of songs. I want it to be clear on the heart level as well as at 30,000 feet how my faith shapes my life and how my life in turn shapes my art. Because I am a desperate man with a desperate cause.
To be continued…
