1.Work 	3:53
2.Dead Man (Carry Me) 	3:19
3.All My Tears 	3:45
4.Even Angels Cry 	4:21
5.There Is A River 	3:51
6.Good Monsters 	4:05
7.Oh My God 	6:05
8.Surprise 	3:50
9.Take Me Higher 	4:40
10.Mirrors & Smoke 	3:58
11.Light Gives Heat 	4:41
12.Water Under The Bridge 	3:57
13.Work (Acoustic)

African Children's Choir
Bass – Aaron Sands
Cello – John Catchings
Drums – Jeremy Lutito
French Horn – Erin Horner, Jennifer Kummer
Mastered By – Richard Dodd
Mixed By – Vance Powell
Mixed By [Assisted By] – Allen Ditto, Nathan Yarborough, Seth Morton, Will James
Viola – Kris Wilkinson
Violin – Jonathan Beach, Ned Henry
Vocals - Dan Haseltine
Vocals [Soloist] – Elizabeth Panga 
Vocals – Ashley Cleveland, Kate York, Kim Fleming, Leigh Nash, Rosemary Butler

Fans accurately predicted a return to a harder-edged rock outing after the band's three previous efforts -- 2003's Furthermore and Who We Are Instead, as well as 2005's Redemption Songs -- leaned primarily toward a stripped-down folk sound. Monsters stretches the four-piece band past any set of expectations and results in its boldest effort to date. Known for introspection and openness, their lyrics this time around offer no singular message other than an unapologetic admittance that they don't have all the answers. Songs bounce from haunting to lilting, pensive to provoking, ultimately creating a set list that is cohesive only in its self-examination. Among the many standouts, the jarring opener, "Work," manifests within seconds that acoustic guitars have been set aside in lieu of a more raw, glaring sound. "Dead Man (Carry Me)" gets going with a jangly guitar riff and heavy beats resembling secular contemporaries the Killers. "There Is a River" finds its place among the band's greatest, taking an Americana drive à la Counting Crows' "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" or Ingram Hill's "The Captain." "Mirrors & Smoke" features a duet between lead vocalist Dan Haseltine and ex-Sixpence None the Richer frontwoman Leigh Nash. The bandmembers continue to bear sonic ode to Toad the Wet Sprocket and U2 on this record, but they draw upon enough of their own trademark sound that only isolated moments would evoke comparisons to the latter's mid-decade classic How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Good Monsters doesn't aim for arena rock, but it remains well-crafted and vulnerable at the core. Jars of Clay bear the cross of being compared to their self-titled debut with every following record. Good Monsters is a departure from that debut, but assuredly a welcome one that yet again demonstrates the band's depth and talent. ---Jared Johnson, AllMusic Review

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1 	Small Rebellions    (Feat. Brandon Heath)
2 	Call My Name	(Feat. Audrey Assad, Thad Cockrell)
3 	We Will Follow	(Feat. Gungor)
4 	Eyes Wide Open    (Feat. Burlap To Cashmere, Derek Webb, Mac Powell)
5 	Shelter    (Feat. Brandon Heath)
6 	Out Of My Hands    (Feat. – Mike Donehey)
7 	No Greater Love 	
8 	Run In The Night (Psalm 27)    (Feat. – Thad Cockrell)
9 	Lay It Down    (Feat. – David Crowder, Dawn Michelle)
10 	Love Will Find Us    (Feat. Matt Maher, Sara Groves)
11 	Benediction    (Feat. Amy Grant)

Dan Haseltine - vocals
Stephen Mason - leads guitar
Matthew Odmark - guitar
Charlie Lowell - keyboards, piano

When a band has been around for over sixteen years, you know they've got to be doing something right. With constant innovation being a crucial factor to stay fresh and interesting in the minds of listeners, Jars of Clay is a very purposeful band; with every new project from the band comes a new direction and approach, keeping the quartet a timeless addition among the industry. 2009's tour de force The Long Fall Back To Earth was arguably the band's greatest achievement since their astounding debut, but Jars wastes no time getting back to work with The Shelter, a collaboration album of which many praises should be sung.

The Shelter doesn't stray too far from the musical precedent that The Long Fall... set, but it's unquestionably a self-contained record. With plenty of experimentation abound, it takes advantage of a great array of approaches while also taking time when it proves most effective. While there aren't many moments that border on frenetic, it maintains a sense of accessibility without feeling watered down, an equilibrium that's tough to master. Most tracks stay within the certain confines, but a couple tracks take very different turns. "No Greater Love" and "Lay It Down" are the most aggressive on the album and probably reflect The Long Fall... the most of the record, while "Eyes Wide Open" finds a primarily bluegrass/folk tinge, with clever acoustic strumming and an upbeat handclap section.

What makes The Shelter most unique, however, is the surfeit of special guest appearances on the project. "No Greater Love" aside, every track features at least one other artist's contribution; Dan Haseltine still leads vocally, but rather than just handing off a verse or two to someone else for every track, the voices are mixed into the composition of the song, sometimes always in unison with Haseltine. One will immediately notice an additional singer on the opener "Small Rebellions," but picking out that it's none other than Brandon Heath isn't entirely obvious. On one hand, it could be argued that such a wide variety and large volume of vocalists on one cohesive project feels a little distracting at times, but repeat listens remedy this factor quite easily.

Not one track really lacks on The Shelter, but a few tracks especially stand out. Thad Cockrell and Audrey Assad complete "Call My Name," a masterful track of chiming keyboards and straight-up worshipful cries, while "Eyes Wide Open" (featuring guests Mac Powell, Derek Webb and Burlap to Cashmere) boasts such lines as "God bruised the heels we dug in the ground that we might move closer to love." Leigh Nash shines with her stunning background work on "Out Of My Hands" as Haseltine and Tenth Avenue North's Mike Donehey remain in awe of Christ's choosing us to be His people ("It's out of my hands, it was from the start/In light of what you've done for me/you lifted my hands, you set me apart"). Every track speaks something new through every listen because of the vast variety found here, leading to an extremely rewarding experience for the listener each and every time.

It seems Jars is back, and they've brought some friends along with them. Never lacking in musical and lyrical brilliance, Jars of Clay pulls off yet another masterpiece right on the heels of another. Without attempting to outdo The Long Fall..., the band takes a completely alternate route for The Shelter; it's remarkably different for the seasoned veterans, and given how long these guys have been around, it's quite demonstrative of how talented this band is (as well as their guests). Using collaboration in its best form no other project this year can boast, The Shelter is a clear standout for 2010 and a worship record no fan should miss. ---Roger Gelwicks, jesusfreakhideout.com

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CD1:
01 – After The Fight
02 – Age of Immature Mistakes
03 – Reckless Forgiver
04 – Human Race
05 – Love In Hard Times
06 – Pennsylvania
07 – Loneliness & Alcohol
08 – I Don’t Want You To Forget
09 – Fall Asleep
10 – Skin & Bones
11 – Left Undone
12 – Inland

CD2:
01 – After The Fight (SPEAK Remix)
02 – Loneliness & Alcohol (JT Daly Remix)
03 – Inland (Five Knives Remix)
04 – Pennsylvania – (Careful What Your Remix by Flibbityflu)
05 – Age Of Immature Mistakes (Kyle Rictor remix)
06 – Human Race (Eric Sharp Remix)
07 – Reckless Forgiver (Charlie Lowell Remix)

Musicians:
    Dan Haseltine – Lead vocals
    Stephen Mason – Guitar
    Matt Odmark – Guitar
    Charlie Lowell – Piano & Keys

Keeping up with the current is far easier said than done. After almost twenty years in the scene, most bands would have locked onto their sound of choice long ago and stuck with it (if the band was still together at all by that point), but as has been obvious from past precedent, Jars of Clay is not one of those bands. Enter Inland, the band's tenth studio album, which carries the weight of a daring spirit and the prerogative to act on practiced skill. With both the opening and closing tracks of the album released as singles early on, the middle between the bookends is now being revealed. And what a reveal it is; the years of musical excellence just keep increasing.

With 2009's The Long Fall Back to Earth carrying a subtle electronic flair and 2010's The Shelter featuring a diverse and organic musical blend with various artists in tow, Inland doesn't attempt to continue either of these models and does what Jars does best: try something new. Self-producing their material for the last several years, the quartet welcomed famed producer Tucker Martine to the studio for this project, and the difference is absolutely noticeable. Previously producing records for the likes of Neko Case, My Morning Jacket, and the Decemberists, Martine uses his influence to create an alternative musical vibe for Inland that's a fitting new angle for the veterans in their ever-changing creative concept. Both in the big picture and its details, Inland draws upon cohesive methods and keep the listeners on their toes, whether it's the serene strings on "Reckless Forgiver" and "Pennsylvania" (that are ever-so-reminiscent of the band's self-titled debut), the subtle horn section of "Human Race," or the expertly laid bass lines of "After the Fight" and the title track. It's twelve tracks of a version of Jars of Clay that sounds painstakingly familiar, but still as different as ever; admittedly a curveball from what fans could be used to, the sharp differences make Inland a self-contained and distinctive entry in the band's illustrious catalog.

As the foursome treads the ground before them, Inland measures a landscape of sound with valleys and hills in an appropriately mapped-out outline. "After the Fight" starts the album with the most upbeat track of the album to give the newfound journey a kick in the energy with "Age of Immature Mistakes" mostly following suit. By the time "Love in Hard Times" and "Pennsylvania" hit, however, the record slows to a crawl to allow the emotion of the venture to sink in. The explosive "Loneliness & Alcohol" heightens the drama once again before "I Don't Want You to Forget," "Fall Asleep," and "Skin & Bones" calm the storm. By the time the title track closes out the set, the listener feels the end of an expedition, almost too soon after it has started. Throughout this trek, however, Inland captures the human experience in striking ways. "Age of Immature Mistakes" arrests the patterns of young love ("don't know enough about love so we make it up/like hearts in the hands of a child 'til they break it up"), while "Fall Asleep" keeps the tension tight between letting a lover go and holding them close ("I watched as the distance spread as the shadows grew/And the longings came like wolves to devour you/So stay up with me, don't fall asleep/'cause we only have this moment once in our lives"). "Reckless Forgiver" cuts the closest to home, resorting to a frank exhortation for God to enter in one's life ("All I want is peace like a river/a long life of sanity/love that won't leave too soon/someone to pull out the splinters/hey, Reckless Forgiver, you know I'm talking to You"). The ambitious "Loneliness & Alcohol" burrows in the losing edifice of grief, while "Skin & Bones" reassures for a better day to come. While some lines are harder to dissect than others, Inland features some of vocalist Dan Haseltine's finest pennings to date, keeping the band's creative direction hinging on more than just new melodies and instrumental choices.

Original at the core and rooted in practiced experience, Jars of Clay has stayed incredibly fascinating after nearly two decades of work, and it makes an album like Inland all the more impressive. Regular risk-takers from the start, a band like Jars of Clay has had plenty of chances to coast, but Inland demonstrates that the band's identity rests in revitalizing change. Kissing summer off with bliss and excellence, these perennial contenders for best-of-year honors make Inland essential listening for 2013's year in music. --- Roger Gelwicks, jesusfreakhideout.com

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