Rating: 3.5/5

It is not often that I buy an album that has so much media hype surrounding its release. CCM magazine in the US named ‘Good Monsters’ as its album of the year, still with three months to go. This would normally be the first thing to put me off an album, media hype. Fortunately, Jars of Clay’s first radio single Dead Man (Carry Me) kept me interested and distracted me from the terrible hype.

Jars of Clay have a unique sound; a mix of rock with Southern style US bluegrass. Think of a combination of Lifehouse, Third Day and music from the film Oh Brother, Where For Art Thou?

‘Good Monsters’ opens with three rocking tracks that are all closely related thematically. Work, Dead Man, and All My Tears all speak about needing companionship in life. They are catchy little rock songs that set the album up with a fast pace before slowing and changing style slightly for the middle section of the album.

Tracks four and five – Even Angels Cry and There is a River – are a fun little detour into Southern rock. ‘Good Monsters’ picks up again on the title track and then the magnificent Oh My God, which is certainly the best track on the album.

The final five tracks are really good chill out tracks, very similar in style to Lifehouse with pieces of Southern rock and bluegrass thrown in.

Overall ‘Good Monsters’ is a good listen. It could be slightly more polished with smoother transitions between music styles, sometimes it sounds like someone has changed the CD rather than just changing the track. I certainly wouldn’t award it album of the year myself, but then again it is certainly not the worst album I have heard this year.