FamilyFans Music

###

If I Left the Zoo

Jars of Clay / Essential Records

First, let me say I am a Jars of Clay fan, owning all their albums to date and even listing them among my “top three innovators” in Christian music (see below). Perhaps that’s why it’s difficult for me to say what must come next: The Jar boys latest CD, If I Left the Zoo, is, well, just OK. Knowing what this band is capable of creating leaves me thinking this album should have been so much better.

True, there are some fine tunes here. The folksy, satirical and Beatlesque “Goodbye Goodnight” is one. The rocking (and also Beatlesque) prayer, “Unforgetful You” is another.

And yet, there are a few too many “average” songs here as well, such as “No One Loves Me Like You,” and “Sad Clown.” Also, the Beatles influence seems to run through too many songs, making Jars sound less and less unique. Lyrically the album is introspective, but impersonal, shrouding everything from male/female relationships to a relationship with God in vague, repetitive statements. That can be poetic, but overused it simply becomes boring. (Sorry guys! It’s just that you’ve proven you can do better and go deeper, and I wanted to hear it here too!)

Still, though Jars of Clay may not win new fans with this CD, their legions of current ones will surely be satisfied with If I Left the Zoo. For that reason alone this could be a worthwhile addition to your CD collection.

FAMILYFANS RATING: C+

--Mike Nappa

###