The Eleventh Hour
After releasing three widely acclaimed discs and receiving a plethora of awards and accolades, Jars of Clay return to their roots onThe Eleventh Hour, revisiting the guitar-driven pop formula that launched their careers. Gone is the experimentation ofIf I Left the Zoo, replaced with more direct approaches, like the pounding rock of "Revolution" and the acerbity of "Whatever She Wants." Matt Odmark's fine guitar work and Dan Haseltine's Everyman vocals resonate with gut-wrenching soul searching and joyous redemption, as the haunting doubts of "Silence" are answered by the hope of the closing "The Edge of Water." Once again, Jars of Clay have released an insightful masterpiece on the human spirit and those in-between days that define our struggle for faith, and it stands as a road marker for just how far these four talented lads have come.--Michael Lyttle