''Who We Are Instead'' is the fifth full-length studio album recorded by

Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...

band Jars of Clay and produced by Mitch Dane. It was released in 2003 by Essential Records. Representing their most acoustic-based since their first disc, ''Who We Are Instead'' is the band's most relaxed-sounding material to date. The stripped-down sound accompanied a more direct focus on their spirituality, with

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

influences apparent in some of the songs and the names of God and

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

being more explicitly mentioned throughout the disc. Guitarist Steve Mason proved to be rather versatile on this album, with several songs featuring either the

lap steel The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional a ...

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

. The songs " Show You Love" and " Sunny Days", two of the more upbeat songs on a generally contemplative and reflective album, were released as singles. The album features two covers: The 1974 song " Lonely People" by

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and the 1971 composition "

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet ''Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet'' is a 1971 composition by Gavin Bryars based on a loop of an unknown homeless man singing a brief improvised stanza. The loop was the singer's recollection of the chorus of a gospel hymn, by James M Black, p ...

" by

Gavin Bryars Richard Gavin Bryars (; born 16 January 1943) is an English composer and double bassist. He has worked in jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, historicism, avant-garde, and experimental music. Early life and career Born on 16 January 1943 in ...

. The song "Amazing Grace" is not a cover of the popular hymn but rather an original song written by the band. It is the band's only full-length studio album not to be nominated by either GMA Dove Awards or Grammy Awards.

Track listing

Personnel

Jars of Clay *

Dan Haseltine Daniel Paul Haseltine (born January 12, 1973) is an American singer best known as lead vocalist for Christian alternative folk rock group Jars of Clay. Haseltine has performed vocals, piano, accordion, percussion and melodica, while with Jars of ...

– vocals, percussion *

Charlie Lowell Charles Daniel Lowell (born October 21, 1973)Jars WorldJars World: Music: Tim. Date of Birth noted. Retrieved 9 August 2007. is an American pianist most known for being the pianist and keyboardist for Christian alternative folk rock group Jars o ...

– acoustic piano, keyboards, organ,

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

, backing vocals * Stephen Mason – vocals, guitars,

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...

, National guitar,

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

Matt Odmark Matthew Thomas Odmark (born January 25, 1974) is an American musician most known for being a guitarist for Christian alternative folk rock group Jars of Clay. Biography Matthew Odmark was raised in Rochester, New York where he attended McQuaid ...

– acoustic guitars,

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

, backing vocals Additional musicians * Kenny Meeks – mandolin (5), vocals (5) * Aaron Sands – bass (1, 6, 7, 12) *

Ken Coomer Ken Coomer is an American musician and producer best known for his drumming in Uncle Tupelo and later Wilco. He was the drummer and co-founder of the Nashville-based band, Clockhammer, in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Career Coomer produced th ...

– drums (1, 2, 8, 9) * Ben Mize – drums (1, 6, 12) *

Chris McHugh Chris McHugh (born 1964) is an American musician. He began his career as the drummer of Christian rock band White Heart from 1986 to 1989. He also worked in the recording of several of their later albums. Chris McHugh is on the Nashville "A" li ...

– drums (7) * John Catchings – cello (1, 4, 8, 10, 11) *

Ashley Cleveland Ashley Cleveland (born February 2, 1957) is an American singer/songwriter best known as a background vocalist and gospel singer. Ashley Cleveland was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has been married to Kenny Greenberg since April 27, 1991, a ...

– vocals (2, 11) Production *

Robert Beeson Robert Beeson is a music executive. He founded Essential Records in 1992, home to artists Jars of Clay and Third Day, along with Caedmon's Call, Bebo Norman and FFH. He also created the City On a Hill series. He became Senior VP A&R for Provid ...

– executive producer * Ron Aniello – producer (1, 6, 7, 12), recording (1, 6, 7, 12) * Jars of Clay – producers (2–5, 8–11) * Mitch Dane – producer (2–5, 8–11), recording (2–5, 8–11) * Clint Roth – recording (1, 6, 7, 12) * David Thoener – recording (1, 6, 7, 12) *

Jacquire King Jacquire King (born January 11, 1967) is an American record producer, recording engineer and mixer. King has worked with such notable artists as Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, James Bay, Kaleo, Modest Mouse, Shania Twain, Buddy Guy, Norah Jones, ...

– mixing, additional engineer (7, 12), drum recording (7) * Mike Paragone – assistant engineer (1, 6, 7, 12) * Sang Park – assistant engineer (1, 6, 7, 12) * Richard Dodd – mastering at RichardDodd.com, Nashville, Tennessee * Michelle Pearson – A&R production * Dan Haseltine – art direction * John Rummen – cover design * Jamie Anderson – interior design * Martyn Atkins – band photography * Crystal Heald – nature photography * Hank Schiffmacher – Jesus' blood tattoo photography * Robin Geary – hair stylist, make-up * Star Klem – stylist

Charts

References

{{Authority control Jars of Clay albums Essential Records (Christian) albums 2003 albums Albums produced by Ron Aniello