The first cd I ever owned, with the exception of a few samplers, was Jars of Clay's first cd, the self-titled platinum masterpiece. I loved the hit "Flood" and the other radio friendly songs. At that point in my life the rest was ok, but over my head. Now, as I listen to the album, I can devour it. Most of it is remarkable, even eight years later.

Unfortunately, the rest of Jars of Clay's catalogue hasn't been that good. Each release after that was a marked downgrade in quality. "Much Afraid" showed some maturity in songwriting, but the album as a whole failed to show us that the matured sound was interesting.

Ever since then Jars of Clay has been that one hit wonder that's been a reason not to purchase music. You could tell they wanted to write those radio hits, but were forsaking the earnest zeal that marked the first album. With "Who We Are Instead" they finally have stopped trying to out do "Jars of Clay". Instead they went out and crafted a new sound. Surprisingly, it works.

What they've done and given us is an album that cohesively blends americana, folk, and country. Yet still holds on to that identifiable "Jars of Clay sound" that was made popular with "Flood".

They perform the new sound with confidence and grace. The songs are memorable and stand well on their own individually, as well as in the context of the album. Sonically, the only flaw is that the production is a bit too slick. If it was left a bit rougher, a lot of character could have been added to the release.

My favorite song is the haunting rendition of "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet", though many on the album come close for one reason or another. It's a slower song, with bare instrumentation. Often that kind of song would get slapped on as the last track, feeling like an afterthought. Jars of Clay, however, gave it life and slipped it into the middle of the album where it belongs.

I would suggest this as an album for my americana/folk friends, in addition to the die hard Jars of Clay fans. I honestly would not be surprised if many Jars fans find this to be their least favorite release up to this point. While Jars of Clay will never surpass the genious of "Jars of Clay", this album does a lot to put the past in the past.