Jars of Clay released their self-titled debut album back in
1995. REDEMPTION SONGS (2005, Essential
Records) was their sixth full-length studio album. It won ‘Recorded Music Packaging of the Year’
at the 37th GMA Dove Awards and was nominated for ‘Pop/Contemporary
Album of the Year’, but lost out to Casting Crowns’ LIFESONG. In the liner notes, Jars write: “You have in
your hands a collection of very old words set to almost completely modern
music. The music comes from a place of
true reverence and appreciation for the richness of our past and an attempt to
leap across years and articulate that past in a language that could be embraced
by us as 21st century people of faith”.
The opening song ‘God Be Merciful to Me (Psalm 51)’ has an
old country twang to it and offers these prayerful words: “Make me pure, Thy
grace bestow/Wash me whiter than the snow/Gracious God, my heart renew/Make my
spirit right and true/Thy salvation’s joy impart/Steadfast make my willing heart
(2X)”. ‘I Need Thee Every Hour’ admits
total dependence on God: “I need Thee every hour/Most gracious Lord/No tender
voice like Thine can peace afford/I need Thee every hour/Stay Thou
nearby/Temptations lose their power/When Thou art night/I need Thee, oh I need
Thee/Every hour I need Thee”. Andy
Osenga and Laura Taylor sing with the band on ‘God Will Lift up your
Head’. It is an upbeat pop/rock number
that places total confidence in our Maker: “Through waves and clouds and
storms/He gently clears the way/Wait because in His time/So shall this
night/Soon end in joy (4X)/God will lift up your head”.
A rootsy rock version of Albert E. Brumley’s ‘I’ll Fly Away’
featuring Sarah Kelly’s vocals, follows.
This is a song of great hope: “Oh, how glad and happy when we meet/I’ll
fly away/No more cold iron shackles on my feet/I’ll fly away.../Just a few more
weary days and then/I’ll fly away/To a land where joy will never end/I’ll fly
away”. ‘Nothing But the Blood’ features
The Blind Boys of Alabama. This version
has a highly celebratory and fun feel to it, albeit with a different melody
than most are used to: “Nothing can for sin atone/Not of good that I have
done/This is all my hope and peace/This is all my righteousness/Oh, precious is
the flow/That makes me white as snow/And no other fount I know/Nothing,
nothing, nothing but the blood of Jesus (3X)”.
‘Let us Love and Sing and Wonder’ features Martin Smith of
Delirious. This ballad glorifies Jesus
Christ: “Let us love and sing and wonder/Let us praise the Savior’s Name/He has
hushed the law’s loud thunder/Called us by His grace and taught us/Gave us ears
and gave us eyes/He has washed us with His blood (3X)/He presents our souls to
God”. ‘O Come and Mourn with me Awhile’
reflects on the crucifixion: “Seven times He spoke/Seven words of love/And all
three hours His silence cried/For mercy on the souls of men/Jesus our Lord is
crucified/O love of God, O sin of man/In this dread act your strength is
tried/And victory remains with love/Jesus our Lord is crucified”.
‘Hiding Place’ contrasts light with darkness: “But when Thy
Spirit shines within/Makes me feel the plague of sin/And how I long to see Thy
face/Tis then I want a hiding place/Lord Jesus, shine and then I can/Feel
sweetness in salvation’s plan/And as a sinner plead for grace/Christ, the
sinner’s hiding place (2X)”. John
Catchings plays cello on ‘Jesus, I Lift my Eyes’. It is a nice worship song: “Here let my faith
unshaken dwell/Immovable the promise stands/Not all the powers of earth or
hell/Can e’re dissolve the sacred bands/Jesus to Thee I lift my eyes/Jesus, I
lift my eyes/To Thee I breathe my soul’s desires/Jesus, I lift my eyes/To Thee
I lift my eyes”.
‘It is well with my Soul’ here sounds like it would have if
the Beatles had recorded it. It includes
these words of spiritual contentment: “Though the devil will ruin/Though trials
may come/Let this blessed assurance control/That Christ has regarded my
helpless estate/And He shed His own blood for my soul/It is well with my
soul/It is well/It is well with my soul”.
‘On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand’ again features The Blind Boys of
Alabama. It is a tender sing-a-long song
of happiness that anticipates Heaven: “When shall I see that happy place/And be
forever blessed/When shall I see my Father’s face/And in His bosom rest/And I
am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the promise land/I am bound, I am bound/I
am bound for the promise land”.
The writers of ‘Thou Lovely Source of True Delight’ are Anne
Steele and Kevin Twit. This song
petitions Christ: “Jesus my Lord, my life, my light, oh come with blissful
ray/Break radiant through the shades of night and chase my fears away/Won’t You
chase my fears away?/Then shall my soul with rapture trace the wonders of Thy
love”. Last up is ‘They’ll Know we are Christians
by our Love’, a folk song penned by Peter Scholtes and dating back to
1966. It begins with these peaceful
words: “We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord (2X)/And we pray that
our unity may one day be restored/And they’ll know we are Christians by our
love, by our love/Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love”.
REDEMPTION SONGS combines several classic songs of the
Christian faith with some newer ones, actually resulting in an intriguing and
cohesive album that is reverent and sacred.
These songs affirm that God is an ever present help to us both in the
good and the bad times of our lives. He
is our loving Father who has a great eternal home prepared for those of us who
love Him. Stylistically, this album
utilizes elements of gospel, pop/rock, folk, roots, and church music to get its
message across. This is truly a splendid
album! I’m rating REDEMPTION SONGS
97%. For more info visit: www.jarsofclay.com and www.bloodwatermission.com.