Are you listening? This ain't no quiet thing
We're screaming out our li - What's up friends
welcome to hey, are you listening? This is a
podcast exploring the past present and future
of Christian music. My name is Joel I'm here
with my good friend Brandon and we connected
over a mutual love of a few particular artists
but have pretty different tastes when it comes
to things and so together we get to experience
some new things from time to time and Introduce
each other to some new things and sometimes have
some friends along for the ride And so, excited
for the journey of that. Brandon, how's it going
today? It's going good. I'm enjoying a little
bit of fall weather. It's nice. Joel, do you
feel like you are a pumpkin or an apple kind
of guy when it comes to the fall? It's easy.
I'm easily an apple person. Pumpkin is a, like,
it's just kind of a no -go for me. Yeah, I don't
know what it is, but I love the apple pick. I
like pumpkins. They're cool. I'll carve one but
I like Toasted pumpkin seeds. Mm -hmm. But yeah,
not much of a pumpkin person. What about you?
I think it depends on The vehicle for that. I
was about to say vegetable fruit. I don't know.
I don't know what a pumpkin is I guess it's fruit.
It's a gourd I think if I'm drinking it, that's
the toughest decision. Okay Because I love apple
cider love pumpkin spice like lattes I think
bread wise i'm going like pumpkin pie wise going
pumpkin Wow, but I think if it's cookie i'm going
probably maybe apple So so you're a pumpkin pie
over an apple pie guy Oh, I I think apple pie
is you know, if we were doing the rancor list
this this week on my list I think apple pie is
It's hard for me to think of a Vegetable a dessert.
I don't like less than apple pie. It's very un
-American of you Brandon I just I decided to
start this podcast is really good But no I um
Yeah, I I think I don't like apple pie, but like
I said like apple cookies Stuff like that. Like
I I love like I really love when people just
come up with different weird stuff and you get
to try it. Like I am really pumped up. At home
right now we have this like ramen noodle cup
and they came out with two flavors for Thanksgiving.
One is turkey feast and the other is pumpkin
pie and I'm not gonna eat that whole thing but
I'm at least gonna take one bite of the pumpkin
pie ramen noodle cup. You're so adventurous in
some ways, Brandon, and also in other ways, like
one of the least adventurous people that I know.
And so kudos to you, because I would not go anywhere
close to that ramen. But that's OK. So today
we are covering an album that is kind of an interesting
album for us, because I don't think that That
it's one that maybe we both spent like a ton
of time with and maybe not even our favorite
album by this artist But we're gonna be looking
at the album much afraid by jars of clay And
so I'm looking forward to digging into that and
to get your thoughts on that later as we get
into it But before we get too into that, what
are what are some things that you've been listening
to lately? So actually jars of clay has something
I've been through Jesus Freak Hideout, they did
a really cool piece going through their top 30
songs for Jarzal Kalei, and I love lists like
that, and I think Jesus Freak Hideout, they do
such a good job that even if I don't agree with
stuff, I see where they're coming from. So I
never at least did leave a Jesus Freak Hideout
list being, like, frustrated. So I saw that list
and it kind of made me want to go listen to a
couple of uh newer ones uh as well some of the
ones i love i've shared with you before that
for me jars of clay it starts with good monsters
so that's the one that i'm like yep this is when
we begin and everything else is kind of discovering
oh they they made music before that oh okay cool
they made their most popular music before that
oh okay cool um so i i love getting to go back
and kind of Rediscover, okay, who were they were
because for some bands They'll change so much
over time. Yeah, so the jars of clay I'm listening
to might not be who they were at the beginning
or it might have been every album sounding the
same so It's exciting for me to get to go through
and listen to all of the like pre 2005 albums.
Yeah, that's really interesting Well, I wonder
do you know off the top of your head how many
songs from the album Much Afraid were on that
top 30 list? I'm not sure. I could go back. If
you want to share what you've been listening
to, I can go find out that information real fast.
That would be interesting. Yeah, something I've
been listening to lately. There's a band that
I got introduced to by going to Furnace Fest
one year and I was listening to stuff ahead of
time from artists that were going to be there.
So the band's called Idle Threat. And they're
one of my favorite live acts at Furnace Fest
that year. So they have a record that's been
out for a few years called Blurred Visions. And
it's a little heavier than what I would normally
listen to, especially at this stage in my life.
But it's really good. And, um, and there's a
couple of songs on there that I just really love
that are super worshipful and just very, um,
very Jesus focused. And so, um, it's some of
my favorite, like new, um, Christian music. And
so I got to talk to them and even, even pray
with them. Um, so they're really cool people
and, um, just thankful that their music's out
there. They're supposed to have a new record
coming out. I feel like it's any day now. And
so I'm really looking forward to that one and
seeing if there's uh, yeah anything different
out there in the world of idle threats So yeah,
that's been fun to answer your list. Um, there's
a few on here. Okay, so it starts with number
25 Overjoyed is on the list once again. This
is the top 30 um jars of clay songs according
to the jesus freak hideout staff Number 21 we
got portrait of an apology number 19 much afraid
number 17 tea and sympathy number 10 we have
crazy times number 9 frail and number 8 fade
to gray and That's it. Okay. Oh, there's a good
bit of them. Yeah. Yeah, it's interesting some
of my favorite songs. Mm -hmm from this album
and some of my least favorite songs from this
album on that list. That's cool. Yeah, I'm looking
forward to getting into that. Well, Brandon,
I have a game for you today. And so this game
is called Guess the Collab. And so in honor of
Jars of Clay, and their frequent collaborations
with other artists. Actually, I'm just making
that up because I don't really know how often
Jarza Clay collaborates with other artists. It
doesn't seem like it's that often. Yeah. But
when they do, oh, they do. Right. So I'm going
to give you a collaboration and then I need you
to tell me if it was a real collaboration that
actually happened. OK. Or if it's a fake. Collaboration.
I hope these are a post 2005 You're just gonna
have to do your best to guess on some of these
so we'll start off with Some More popular artists.
Okay, maybe the kinds of artists that would have
ended up on a rancor list at some point So alright,
so here is one for you Lauren Daigle and Chris
Tomlin Oh, did they sing with with jars of clay?
No, no, no. Oh that they collaborated with each
other Lauren Daigle and Chris Tomlin. Did they
actually collab? Is it real or is it fake? That's
such a I'm gonna go fake It's real. Oh Christmas
I think the song Noel. Oh, I read it together
on I I could see that going either way All right
Here's one for you same um would have been on
a rink or list casting crowns and mercy me oh
i you would think that they would have had to
have like partnered but i'm is it the bands or
just the singers i'm gonna go yeah because i
feel like the singers would have been on something
together i think this happened it's a fake collaboration
um they're almost too similar yeah to like collaborate
together on something um it's interesting you
probably know this one this is a couple of worship
artists today oh yeah that's definitely up my
alley phil wickham and brandon lake i'll go yeah
yeah totally they've done a ton of collaborations
together i think so um okay um let's see Alright,
it's getting into a little more of the edgy stuff
Reliant K and Owl City. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's
one of my favorite songs. They did That's My
Jam together. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's
right. Really good song. P .O .D. and Lecrae.
Google No? Nope, it's real. Oh. It's real. It's
a remix. This goes out to you. Oh, okay. Okay
need to breathe mm -hmm and 21 pilots I'm gonna
go no on that one. You're right. That one was
fake that if you told me those realize I have
to go listen But you had been interested in that
one for sure Third day and Michael Tate They
They toured so much together Hmm You know, I'm
gonna go no It's real. I should have followed
my gut. It happened. It happened. All right NF
and Toby Mack. Oh, yeah until the day I die That's
all they did together Well, my information says
fake Oh, like NF the rapper, right? Yeah. Yeah.
All right. We're about to break the system. Looking
forward to hearing more. Okay, I'm gonna give
you one more to see if you know this one. Hillsong
United and Justin Bieber. I'll go yeah. Yep.
Yep. No, I think live like Justin Bieber has
guested right there Okay, you're right My information
is wrong. The internet's not always correct I
thought you were gonna go with um so I got excited
because one of my favorite jars of clay songs
is a uh that features Lay nash from six minutes
none the richer. Yeah, it does. Um, okay, you
know it And so I got really excited at first
being like, oh, we get to talk about that song,
but yeah, it's off of good monsters. Well, there
you go. Sorry I didn't get there. That's okay.
All right. Well, let's transition and get into
this album, Much Afraid. All right. So a little
information on this record. Much Afraid is the
second studio album by Christian Rock Band, Jars
of Clay. It was released in 1997 by Essential
Records. Following the charting success of the
band's debut album, Much Afraid was moderately
successful but was unable to achieve the level
of its predecessor. The title is a reference
to Hannah Hernard's 1955 novel Heinz Viet on
High Places, whose main character was named Much
Afraid. Much Afraid earned the band a Grammy
Award for Best Pop Contemporary Gospel Album.
So with that, let's talk a little bit about Much
Afraid. We kind of gave a little bit of our,
just kind of opening thoughts, but I'll just
say, and then you can follow up with anything
else maybe that you want to say. For me, I started
listening to Jars of Clay with their first record
that came out and loved it and was super into
it. The band that I was in at the time, we covered
stuff from it. And so when the second album came
out, it was a different sound. They're using
electric guitars for the first time. It really
was like a step a progression step for them in
a lot of ways But I think that a lot of fans
were like clamoring for what they had in the
first record. Um, but the first record was like
Like drum tracks drum machines The new one is
like real drums real instruments. And so there's
a lot more like production wise happening on
this record and so I I see this as a really important
step for them as a band. But for whatever reason,
it just didn't land as well for them as some
of the earlier stuff did. But I think it's a
good record. It's one of my favorite Jars of
Clay records. Do you have any other thoughts?
Yeah, I think Jars of Clay is a band. I think
it helps when going into this, I knew and listened
a little bit of it. Um, but not really sat down
and really just like took in every song. Yeah,
but it's nice to know the history and who the
band is because there's a lot of these older
albums that It's during the us discuss discussing
it'll be asking you or a guest what's the um
The context of this album because it's not understanding
that you know, like i'll go into an album thinking
it's really deep tracks and half of them are
silly you know tracks and I'm like oh yeah this
is a bad album this is like a two out of five
but it was knowing well if I would have known
the band was like that then I appreciate you
know the sense of humor they have in between
the stuff right um so to me Jars of Clay has
always been a band that is um Kind of trying
to challenge themselves and do something different.
And I know even for me when I got into them during
their later years I remember they put out like
a worship album and I was like, oh, I don't like
this I want all the stuff I had but it was the
understanding as a fan now that it's I should
appreciate that It's not them selling out and
just making something to make money. It was that
they felt You know They felt like they needed
to, you know, inspired to put out this. Right.
Um, so yeah, I think going into this it's I expected
it to be different just because of what i've
seen. Um, but also the 90s was a weird place
for music. So It's fun exposing you to the 90s
and letting you feel what is out there and why
The 90s were necessary for the 2000s to exist.
I feel like sometimes um My the best way to describe
my experience with music in the 90s is I'm like
that person that I listen to DC talk audio adrenaline
and newsboys So I feel like I'm the kind of person
that drives into Orlando But only goes to Disney
then comes home and people are like, well, there's
more stuff than just that there's restaurants
There's other places and I'm sitting there being
like This isn't Disney. It's like this is Target
brand and this is a store. This is this or this
is the beach brand and there are no roller coasters
So yeah, sometimes you've got experience or enjoy
the weirdness And realize that there's a lot
of weirdness in DC talk audio adrenaline and
the newsboys in their early years I don't listen
to those albums With those DC talk fans, it's
like man the two albums they did How amazing.
And there's like three other out. Well, you know,
we're gonna focus on these two. Yeah, there's
some interesting stuff early on. I'm sure we'll
get into it for all of those artists at some
point, but yeah. when you when you're a band
like the newsboys and steve taylor wrote all
your songs for a while you know that those songs
are going to be interesting yes and a little
eclectic and uh and silly so all right well let's
get into a track by track conversation of much
afraid and so we'll kind of kick things off with
the first track overjoyed um how do you feel
like this worked as a first track i I think my
first impressions was, all right, what are we
establishing? What path are we going down? But
then having listened through the track, I was
able to appreciate that, okay, we're building
to this, like this starts off. And so I feel
like as an opener, it did a good job of, I think
it painted a picture of what the rest of the
album was going to look like. There wasn't any
sudden shifts, you know? So I felt like it did
a good job of kind of showing you what's to come.
Yeah, this is an interesting first track for
me. I felt like it starts off pretty subtle and
then it feels just like a little like disconnected,
disjointed and not super cohesive as a song until
you kind of get into the chorus and things kind
of come together. And so it's not my favorite.
It's it's not anywhere close to one of my favorite
tracks on the record. It is the first time we
really hear a guitar solo Yeah jars of clay,
which is which is kind of a fun thing to experience.
But um Yeah, I don't know. I'm just kind of like
yeah, it's just it's us It's a song and I guess
that it says some things about what's coming
because it is different from their early stuff
Yeah after our joy we now fade to gray in our
next track Well, how'd you feel about fade to
gray? Yeah, so much more into fade to gray than
I was into over overjoyed I like I like the like
organ and the kind of drum machine thing that
starts off at the beginning it just feels it
felt a lot unlike anything that Jarzik Lee had
ever done before mm -hmm and so there's a lot
of like layers of things, um, that are happening.
There's orchestra happening. Um, and then when
you get into like the second chorus, um, this
it's weird because it actually that like the
second chorus feels like a song that would have
been on the first jars of clay record, but getting
there like was a totally different experience.
And so it's like, Hey guys, we're gonna do something
that's like really new and different, but by
the way, we're still the same band. Yeah It's
like check us out. We're trying something new
but we're still here. It's still us. Yeah, so
the same guys and so I I like this one a lot
because I think that it does a lot of cool things
It's got a really like heavy breakdown on the
bridge, which I thought was cool And I love the
vocals that are yeah at the end of the track.
So Yeah, I like this one a lot. It's a highlight
for me. I think it's interesting because I Feel
as though we're flip -flopped with them. No that
for me. I felt this song was kind of Chaotic
in a bad way that I didn't like that. It jumped
around like it did so for me I felt as though
okay. Can we go back to the first track or or
maybe it was you know, honestly, maybe it's a
Okay, this is a second track in a row that there's
this Shift in the middle like of the song and
it's me thinking Okay, that's cool for that track.
But it's you know, it's like a guitar solo if
you have Like Freebird or whatever. It's got
that guitar. So that lasts forever But every
song they did have like a three -minute guitar
solo you'd be like, I don't like I don't like
this band like That should be special. Yeah So
yeah, I think for me it was flip flop that kind
of felt the way I think you did about overjoyed
with it. Interesting. Yeah. Um, they definitely,
the guitar thing is interesting on here because
it's like, Hey, we've never done this before.
And then next track, they're like, remember we
had never, we never did this before. Now we're
going to do it again. I feel like there's a lot
of that which I mean this it's kind of fun. Yeah,
it's progression. So yeah, well, that's okay
We can agree to disagree on that not my favorite
song on the record Yeah, but track three is one
of my favorite songs on the record tea and sympathy.
What do you think about that one? I really like
this. I felt like it's a song that translates
Like well during a concert. Yeah, and I think
that it's something I think of a lot when I'm
going through different albums and songs and
such. I like too that it is, I feel as though
I'm listening to the same song throughout. So
it was, we finally got a song that was, okay
there's no shift where it's, we have guitar,
we're happy, but now we have this, you know,
I don't know, some kind of... Marching or something
going on or whatever. There's nothing that's
thrown in Brandon is anti -marching in music
Apple pie Do you feel about it? Um, yeah, I love
this song. I agree with you. It's very cohesive
as a song. Um, it just, the whole thing works
together really well, even though there is build
and like a lot of the string work that comes
in, like as the song progresses is great, but
it's just building on what's already there versus
like shifting. Um, and I think that that works
really well. Um, I get tons of like Beatles vibes
from this song and I love that. Um, Even the
line we can work it out. Mm -hmm is a stolen
Beatles line They use towards the end. And so
yeah, this song is just makes me feel good and
ready to tackle whatever I need to tackle It's
a it's a really really great song. So love it
Sometimes I like whenever you go first because
I'm able to piggyback up what you're saying So
like just now when I went first, it's like it's
a song that together it stays, you know, you're
like cohesive So when I go second I go yes, let
me steal that word cohesive Next we move to crazy
times Would you think about it Joel? Well, it
seems it's always the crazy times We'll wake
up and realize um, no, this is a good song. This
is actually the first song I ever heard um on
this record, I think that um I think I was watching
the dev awards or something one year and Before
this album came out they played this live and
I was just like there's electric guitar in jars
of clay. What's happening? Um, it just felt like
this crazy, um moment and um, and yeah, I think
that um It's an yeah, it's a good it's a good
song. I even think that they they spent some
time with like sting Mm -hmm and some other like
secular artists like sting hosted this thing
and they went to it songwriting thing So I think
they wrote some of this record like with him.
Mm -hmm Interestingly enough and so I think this
song is part of what came out of that. It's got
a really cool bridge Um, that's very beetle -esque
and then like guitar solo that's mostly like
playing the same note over and over and over
again. Um, but it works as a song. Um, and I
think, I think, like I said, the bridge is cool.
Um, I think they were hoping that this was like,
this was going to be the song. Like pretty sure
it was the first single off the record. I think
they were hoping like, no, this is the song that
everybody's going to know. This is jars of clay
now. Um, but it's just not what people were looking
for. Um, and so I don't think it landed the way
they wanted it to, but I, I still like it. It's
a good song. I remember whenever I hear singer
sting, so I grew up with wrestler sting. So for
the longest time, I thought that was the same
person. And I used to think that guy is so, it's
so unique that he does all this wrestling, but
also he's well known as a singer. And I just
thought it was so weird. Um, It wasn't until
later on that I was like, that's two different
people. That's not him wrestling for the World
Heavyweight Championship on Sunday than Monday
doing a concert in England or something. Truth.
I love this track. I was trying to think of how
to explain it because I listened to this and
I thought Jars of Clay is at their best when
they're doing this. And I think it's hard to
describe this, but it made me think a lot of,
on Good Monsters, one thing that drew me into
that album when I got it was that there's this,
I feel like aggressive isn't the right word,
but there's this urgency or there's this in this
space, like they're annoyed. And I think in this
song, there's a person that is frustrated. Maybe
that's the best way to do it. So it reminded
me a lot of kind of what I felt like they would
Like they did on um good monsters Um, and I really
love the the bridge like it's really fun. Um
in it Yeah, I agree on the bridge. I think like
I said, I think it's a great song I just it's
not I don't think it was what people were expecting.
Yeah, so I don't think it landed the way they
they really wanted to Track number five is frail,
which is very different from crazy times What
would you think about frail? I I did not care
for the long intro It is a very long intro. I
think for me it makes sense if it's a separate
track if um because on some of their older ones
there's ones that have a two -minute intro right
and I think I don't know that it'd be interesting
to kind of know why they went with that because
you're I think with this one You're like a minute
and a half into before you know, that's what
I'm like the first Lyric and I think for me as
a lyric person I think that if you have the interlude
Then it's cool so we can have the three -minute
track where the lyrics hit as soon as the track
goes, right? So for me, I'm just I find myself
Waiting around to be like, all right, when are
we gonna get some words in this? Yeah How'd you
feel about it when the words The song actually
got into um, like I didn't I Felt like it was
like a song like I I didn't I didn't like it
or dislike it. I think that Just the minute and
a half took away from really getting into it
Yeah, like this is a track that I'm not going
to add to my playlist. So there's other songs
that I can listen to and eventually pick up more
things But with a track like this, it's hard
to Have it on repeat and picking up stuff. Yeah,
I think you probably do end up appreciating it
more But it's it's like a movie that's three
hours long. You got a plan for that You're not
just gonna turn on and be like, all right, here's
the three -hour movie. Yeah, this one feels to
me like if I'm watching a movie and there's a
scene where somebody's upset about something
that just happened and they're like walking away
from a situation or driving away from a situation.
Like I imagine this song as like a soundtrack
song. Because I feel like what's happening in
the music actually really I like it. I think
there's some really interesting guitar stuff
going on. I'm with you that like There this could
have just been an instrumental even there's a
part where there's like talking behind it Yeah,
which is kind of what leads me maybe to the soundtrack
thing, but then I actually really like it when
the vocals come in and so It's not my favorite
song on the record, but it's just Different and
interesting and so I get though Exactly what
you're saying about why does it take so long
to get into the lyrics? Yeah, could they have
just like Sectioned it off. Maybe I hear you
Next up is five candles Yeah, so This is the
songs fine I like the verse a lot. I feel like
the chorus is just like a little lacking it it
doesn't really Do what I would want it to do
for a jars of clay chorus. And so it's um This
this is one of those songs that it's better than
like, mm -hmm It's there but yeah, it just doesn't
really it's not one of my favorite tracks on
the record a little trivia to it is that it was
originally made for the jim carrey movie liar
liar, yeah, and um It wasn't in I think it's
supposed to be in the credits. I don't think
it's in the credits, but it made it to the soundtrack
and um So I just enjoy that little Trivia where
there's this random jars of clay and jim carrey
connection from the 90s. Um For me, I'm the same
way. I think it's a good song. I don't really
think there's anything special happening with
it. I think that hearing, think of it being in
a movie, I could totally see this being, I guess
how you said, the previous track being this soundtrack.
I can picture that happening in a movie where
you have this sequence of the characters are
going through whatever. The credits hitting like
I'm in theater and I start hearing this play.
I'm not gonna mind it Yeah, I'm also not gonna
jump off and be like you guys hearing this. I
thought the movie was great The credits yeah,
I get that All right track seven is weighed down
or your thoughts on weighed down I think lyrically
I enjoyed it, but I think musically and vocally
it Maybe just like drags a little yeah, and I
mean, maybe it's like the album kind of having
this There's like maybe back and forth of like
speeding up and slowing down and I think Like
you said earlier with this being their second
album They're it's like they're still trying
to figure out who Who they're going to be yeah,
it's still experimenting and so it Comes across
as roots. We're throwing a lot of the board to
kind of see what I think maybe what the fans
like but also the band what do we enjoy playing?
Yeah, so Yeah, I'm with you. Like I think the
lyrics are good. I like I like the bass guitar
in the song. Mm -hmm. The vocals do this thing
where they like pull back On the chorus, which
is weird. That's kind of the opposite of what
you would normally do. Yeah And so yeah for me
like this song is just kind of a filler Filler
track. It's not it doesn't really stand out for
me. Yeah, so Next up we have portrait of an apology
So more filler mm -hmm for me on this one, I
think the songs too long Yeah, it just keeps
going on and and and when a song goes on and
then but it's still not even doing much. Um,
that's just what I feel there's banjo and that's
cool But man, I was just ready for this track
to be over when we got to the end of it I could
have just copied and pasted your thoughts on
it because what I wrote down was Um, I feel like
it's just really long song But I do like the
random banjo in it, so I just copy and pasted
that. And I don't know. So one thing I wonder
with some of these is that I know that back in
the day, you're held to a, oh, we cannot do more
than 70 minutes or whatever that this CD can
hold, but. When it when it came to contracts,
I don't know if you would know this or speculating
But are there in certain contracts where it's
like hey you you have to give us 60 minutes of
material or you have to give us 13 songs per
album or Yeah, I have no idea There it's possible,
but I can't imagine honestly that a record label
enjoys when a band takes the song on too long
because they want singles and singles are like
two and a half minutes. Um, and so I would imagine
that they'd probably want more songs rather than
like longer songs. But they want as many singles
as they can get off of a record and any song
that just kind of drones on for a while Or doesn't
have vocals for a minute and a half like there's
no way that's gonna be a single, right? I feel
like we need to have some kind of a higher up
from a record label on here just to ask their
perspective on stuff because honestly you hear
the artist perspective on a lot of stuff and
I think a lot of times I see where they're coming
from but I know in the past do there's been a
few times where Thought well, it sounds like
the record label is being a reasonable. I understand
when you're in the moment. It's annoying But
like that'd be a cool perspective. So for all
the record execs that are listening to this right
now Yes, Brandon Abel Frank Tate. Yeah, I know
they're listening. Come on the show. That'd be
great Next up we have truce What are your thoughts
on truce truce? Truce is fine. It's It's interesting
at least. It's trying to do some things. I feel
like this is kind of what you were saying earlier
where they're just throwing some stuff at the
wall to see what's gonna work or stick. There's
a big shift when the chorus hits. Yeah, it feels
like the bridge reminds me a little bit of like
the crazy time bridge. So I don't know. Yeah,
it's an interesting song. But I feel like this
section of this record Like I just struggle a
little with yeah because we get into the second
half of the album It just feels a lot weaker
to me than the first half. What's interesting
is that I was thinking that There's a lot of
stuff we've reviewed that feels as though you
have these two different sections and there's
a few stuff like I think that um You know at
the top of my head the gable price and friends
um cd slash ep we we reviewed i think it's something
that it's kind of okay you have this is the same
thing there's not a like slow side or whatever
right and um so it's interesting with these that
there's been a lot of them that i feel as though
towards the second like the end of it i was really
enjoying what was going on uh whereas this one
i agree it feels as though the front the front
is loaded With a lot of like newer stuff and
on the back end you're getting kind of a repeat
of some stuff and I I think that if you're someone
Like yourself that loved what they were doing
or someone like myself that loves what they're
doing ten years from now You get to the point
where you're like, okay. Yeah, we it was cool
what you were doing, but we want you to do These
other things there's a real thing to like the
sophomore slump Um, when it comes to bands putting
out albums and so I feel like this album is It's
not all a slump. Like there's some really good
songs on here. Um, but there's also just a lot
that like feels like We have to put out not an
ep but like a full length and so let's just write
some songs and and kind of get it done And so
i'm guessing that they're probably with some
pressure like rushing them to get this thing
out and they probably didn't have as much time
to spend on writing these songs and recording
these songs. That kind of leads to where you
end up in a situation like that. So all right.
Track 10 is the title track of the record, Much
Afraid. What did you think about this one? I
liked it a lot. I think it's another song that
live would be great. I think as far as the songs
that were a little Slower or maybe not as jumpy
or energetic or whatever I think this was the
best one on here. Yeah, so it is a little bit
of a It's not getting me up and you know moving
but I think that it does kind of wake you up
a little bit into Okay, I'm not done with this
album like just yet Yeah, but there's definitely
a step up that happens here on this one and I
think the lyrics are really good It's just yeah,
it it's a much better song in the vein of the
last few songs Um, and so yeah, I definitely
like That there's a little bit of a step up at
this point. So we end with him. What were your
thoughts? So I love this one um Personally, and
I know again, it's a pretty chill song, but it's
got a different feel um in the sense that it's
like Um, I mean it feels like a hymn Obviously.
And so it feels directed in a different way than
like a lot of these other songs previous. I think
it's really beautiful. The melodies are great.
The lyrics are wonderful. They really capture
like what a hymn sounds like when they're writing
this. I think the harmonies on the chorus are
like really pretty and beautiful and full. And
so I... This one in Tea and Sympathy are like
wrestling for like my favorite songs on the record.
Yeah Yeah, I think for me I I liked it. I feel
like it's it wasn't to the level of like how
much you enjoyed it. Yeah But I liked it and
I didn't find myself going with this Okay, we've
got this then much afraid then back down. I felt
like it stayed on par with okay this was cool
um i was wondering do you think that uh it being
an ending song like do you think it was a great
way to end the album or do you think it would
have been better placed elsewhere you put this
in the middle of the album do you think it helps
or it could have been maybe I actually think
it's an okay ending song, but I don't feel like
it was earned by the songs that came before it.
You know what I mean? I feel like if the second
half of the record was on par with the first
half of the record and you had your good energy
and And it was just product even yet production
wise like the same feeling like the first half
of the record Then when you got to this song,
it would feel like a pretty Like just shift towards
simplicity But also like big beautiful vocals
that I feel like it would have stood out more
Yeah, if the record was a little more cohesive.
Yeah, and so I think I'd probably leave it where
it is But I just I still wish that that one little
section was a little yeah better Yeah Do you
have any final thoughts on this one? Now that
you've been able to spend time with the second
Sharz of Clay record. Yeah, it's it's cool going
back I think this is the worst. This is the hardest
part. Sometimes is that you you give a rating
of an album and It can come across as either.
Oh, this was horrible or this was whatever and
I I think for me it it sometimes makes it more
difficult because if I never listen to any of
Jars of Clay, I feel like it would get higher,
but it almost gets penalized because I know that,
oh, these other albums are incredible. So, I
find myself listening through it going, oh, okay,
well, I'm going to stop this and go listen to
the album I like. so it's you almost get penalized
when you i think it's like star wars like people
who've never watched star wars you could show
them any of the movies and they'd go man this
was cool there was careful what you say right
now like you could show them anything and they
would go man this was that was cool what they
did you know or like i'll i mean especially like
i think the first six if you showed them any
of those even like the the the prequel ones They're
gonna go man. This is cool what they're doing.
But when you're someone who loves star wars,
those are some of the people that They're like
I love the the three that I love so I remember
people who love the original ones They would
watch one two and three and just be like this
is the worst stuff ever blah blah blah And then
when disney took over star wars it became well
george luke was amazing these other ones are
blah blah blah and it becomes this like attack,
but I think it's because they It's hard for them
to enjoy it because they're used to I'm used
to Darth Vader who is Jar Jar Binks You can't
make Star Wars fans happy just like you can't
make Jar Jar Binks I'm just kidding. I don't
know No, that's good so for you, where would
you rate this album one to five? Man, it's it's
tough. I'll be honest. I think that I was landing
with I was thinking of three, but I was thinking
of other albums I've ranked at a three and when
I put it there, then I was thinking of like 2
.5 and I'm thinking, I think a 2 .5 is good,
but people think that you're giving it. So I
think a 2 .75 is where I land in the middle.
Yeah. All right. I think I'm going to go with
a three on this for me. I enjoyed it a lot when
it was released for the first time. And it was
different. Um, but it, it aside from a few songs
that I probably listened to ongoing, most of
this, I don't go back to you. Um, and so it's,
it just kind of hangs out somewhere in there
in the middle for me. I'm thankful that they
took some risks and we're trying some new things
because I think you have to do that as an artist.
I think that it was interesting to go and look
at how many of these tracks landed on the Jesus
Free Hideout list. And it did make me think that,
you know, okay, these things aren't connected
with me, but for these people, they've been sitting
with them for, you know, what, two, two and a
half decades or whatever. So it was cool to look
and see that appreciated on there. Because I
will be honest a lot of mine was like well, there's
not a lot of good monsters appearing on this
one, but But yeah to me it's it's it's just always
exciting to go back and listen to something you've
never listened to you know, whether it ends up
being a Diamond in the rough and it's that five
star or even if it's something low I think that
I this is my I always give this disclaimer if
I give anything under a three So if you were
to go back over the past 11, 12 episodes, you
would see that anytime there's three, there's,
all right, here's Brandon's five minute rant
of like, hey, I gave it a little rate, but I
don't hate it. You do feel like you need to apologize
for your thoughts and your feelings. Well, it's
like I said beforehand, there's bands that I
feel as though I never gave a chance because
I had someone back in the day say, Oh, your bands
are terrible, but my band's cool, right? so I
think for me I always like to be careful because
I know I I want to be careful because I know
there's so much stuff I listen to that like if
someone went through and listened to like A lot
of me without you were dangles and stuff. They
would sit there and be like rena You're gonna
you're seriously gonna write my album, but two
but you're gonna give that a 4 .5 or whatever
And so I feel like I need to cushion it that
way when we inevitably do rank like a Danielson
album or whatever, people don't just grab their
pitchforks. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that.
What's the first Danielson album that we will
cover on this show? Is it going to be Fetch the
Compass Kids? Is it going to be Ships? I don't
know. There's some good ones out there. Looking
forward to that. Alright, let's talk about what
our lyric of the week is So our lyric of the
week this week comes from one of Brandon's favorite
songs on the album frail um blessed are the shallow
depth they'll never find seems to be some comfort
in rooms i try to hide exposed beyond the shadows
you take the cup from me your dirt removes my
blindness your pain becomes my peace it's pretty
good writing yeah it's cool you should listen
the last half of that song i should go listen
to him just kidding Well, this has been a cool
jump back to look at much afraid by jars of clay
and I'm I'm looking forward to eventually getting
to hear some of the stuff that you're enjoying
later because for me like My jars of clay listening
dropped off a lot after much afraid and so the
stuff that you're really into is stuff that I
haven't really even spent time with I have a
good friend named Kyle who good monsters is one
of his favorite records And so I'm excited to
like spend some time with that stuff later So
it'll be fun to dig into it and we thank you
of course for joining us as well and Just jumping
into this journey with us. Please feel free to
come and find us on social media, on Facebook,
on X. We'd love it if you subscribe to the podcast,
if you leave us a review. We would be super thankful.
Anything that you want to share out there just
to help spread the good, hey, are you listening
word would be appreciated. But we're thankful
for you guys and looking forward to hanging out
again next week. you