Review

by Lisa Hezmalhalch

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Christmas Remix
Relaxing For Winter

Jars of Clay's newest release, "Christmas Songs,"
gives a winter evening a modern feel. --Jars of Clay, photo

After twelve years of success in both the Christian and secular markets, Jars of Clay has finally come out with its first Christmas album, "Christmas Songs."

The alternative style present in many of the band's previous hits such as "God Will Lift Up Your Head" and "Flood" is joined with a techno style that shows up in nearly every track of "Christmas Songs." Only a few tracks have a smoother, more alternative feel to them.

In fact, "Christmas Songs" is less traditional than one might imagine. For example, the band gave "O Little Town of Bethlehem" a new melody, making the song unrecognizable until hearing the lyrics.

Other traditional yet different-sounding tracks include "Wonderful Christmastime," originally by Paul McCartney; "Christmas Time is Here," made famous by "A Charlie Brown Christmas;" and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."

One new song on the album is "Hibernation Day," in which the singer pleads, "I don't want to get out of bed. You don't want to go out in the snow. Let's have a hibernation day, me and you." Other new songs include "Peace is Here" and the lyrically simple "Winter Skin."

Also on the album are two instrumental tracks, both written by the band. "The Gift of St. Cecilia" begins with a simple guitar intro, and "Evergreen" gives the feel of walking through fresh fallen snow.

According to lead singer Dan Haseltine, the instrumental tracks "represent a musical expression of the act of escaping the noise and walking into the clear night."

Fellow band member Matt Odmark said, "These two tracks feel like the ghosts of Christmas past and present leaping across time to bring us news of both former joy and fair warning."

In 1994, Jars of Clay released a four-track Christmas recording titled "Little Drummer Boy." Two songs included on that album, "Little Drummer Boy" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," are also on "Christmas Songs" but have been arranged differently.

In the end, "Christmas Songs" would be more appropriately named "Winter Songs." Because of its less traditional sound, this album is good for easing into the holidays in early November or for listening while walking in the snow.

However, it does not lend well to sitting in front of the Christmas tree with hot cocoa to wrap presents and stuff stockings. That's better left to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole or even the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

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