The best thing about Jars Of Clay's third album is actually the artwork. It's their best cover so far. Unfortunately the Jars guys were running on fumes when it came to the songs on this album. After charging out of the gate with their self titled album and making a credible follow-up in Much Afraid, they stumbled a bit on If I left The Zoo. "Goodbye, Goodnight" opens the album with a bit of a joke track (what would it have been like to be a musician on the Titanic as it was going down?) that left most fans scratching their heads. "Unforgettable You" was no doubt an attempt at breaking the mold of being a "dour" bunch of young men and lightning up the mood a bit. It's a pretty good song, but it sounds too out of character for these guys, and a lot like everything else that was popular at the time. "Collide" and "Famous Last Words" kind of just sit there and "I'm Alright" is a pretty lame attempt at being groovy. "Nobody Loves Me Like You" is the lone great song on here. The accordion is just right and the sing-along chorus is great.
Thankfully the fellows would bounce back a few albums later and settle into being respected elder statesmen of Christian Music, making some great albums (like Good Monsters and The Long Fall Back To Earth) along the way.
I suppose every band that has been around long enough has an album like this in it's history (kind of like U2's Pop or R.E.M.'s Up) This album is an admirable attempt at breaking the mold, but I really liked the mold.
2.5 stars
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