Jars of Clay

Expect the unexpected. So went my mental mantra as I opened and subsequently played the new Jars of Clay EP entitled Closer. And, frustratingly, I couldn’t have been more mistaken.

After all, we all know by now the guys in Jars of Clay have fled the contemporary Christian coop, in search of more creative, fruitful waters. The end result? Their own subsidiary label (Gray Matters) within a greater musical collective (Nettwerk Music Group) allowing for true artistic freedom for a band that should only prosper out from under any pressure to gear their music for Christian radio. In other words, if a band can create the sonic brilliance of Good Monsters with Gozar the Christian Keymaster looking over their shoulder, then certainly this new EP should behold a brand new level on top of an already impressive discography.

So it’s rather surprising and disappointing that Closer is hardly the step up expected. Sure, it’s good. Quite good, in fact. But out of five songs, only three are new – with two reworked tracks that seem more of a label retread idea to extort money out of older material than it does the effort of a band with newfound permissions to explore.

Sure the new versions of debut favorites “Flood”, now called “Flood (New Rain)” and “Love Song for a Savior” are full of new life, but they’re already so familiar you can sing along without thinking. The former features a dirty synth opening and, more impressively, some stellar riffs complementing the bridge and verses. The guitar work is very impressive and gives the acoustic memory a distinct edge. The latter features handclaps and a heavy backbeat to lend a summer-with-the-windows-down feel.

“Closer” is the title track and kicks off the EP with a stronger synth sound than anything Jars has approached before. It’s a largely playful feel until the first chorus, not unlike the vibe on If I Left The Zoo LP. Yet when things kick in, vocalist Dan Haseltine has hardly sounded better. “I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough / I want your kite strings tangled in the trees all wrapped up,” he sings above a soaring, swirling guitar/synth combo. It’s an infectious song, for sure, and it’s ideal seasonal fodder.

The real treasure here is “Safe To Land.” The transition from “Closer” to this one is almost unnoticeable in the beginning but it’s clear “Safe To Land” is Jars of Clay at the top of their collective game. With a Snow Patrol resonance (think “Chasing Cars” pulse), Haseltine is bolstered by light harmonies and a slow build that ultimately gives way to a fantastic, haunting question of safety, security and the journey of faith. The track is one of the strongest in the entire catalog and is worth the price of the EP by itself.

The five songs close with the skippable “Prisoner of Hope,” which seems an Eleventh Hour outtake more than anything. And with its sequencing coming after the remakes, it’s a three song reminder of ‘Wait, can’t these guys write whatever they want now?’ It’s a slight letdown that they chose to stay so close to the nest when we were prepared for the great musical flight ahead.

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