Much Afraid
| Much Afraid | ||||
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| Studio album by Jars of Clay | ||||
| Released | September 16, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | The Aquarium at London, UK | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 46:06 | |||
| Label | Essential Records | |||
| Producer | Stephen Lipson | |||
| Jars of Clay chronology | ||||
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Exclusive pre-release cover
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Cross Rhythms |  |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  |
| SputnikMusic | |
Much Afraid is the second full-length studio album of Christian band Jars of Clay. It was released in 1997 by Essential Records.
Much Afraid was highly anticipated after the success of the band's first album, but due to a noticeable stylistic shift, the album was not as well received. Despite debuting at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart (the group's eponymous debut had failed to reach the Top 40), it quickly slid down the chart, its sales failing to match those of its predecessor. The lead single, "Crazy Times" did not do well on mainstream radio, though it was accepted at Christian radio. Since the sound had more of an electric-guitar driven sound, many fans expected Much Afraid to be more of a rock album than its predecessor. Instead, the album seemed to go the other way, taking a more lush and melancholy approach, scaling down the strings and drum loops that the band was known for. The lyrics were also more interpretive and less explicitly Christian than before, focusing more on relationships and emotional issues, though the album's title track and "Hymn" both mentioned "Sweet Jesus" in their lyrics. Some have compared the sound of this album to that of Toad the Wet Sprocket, a band noted for being an influence for Mason and Haseltine of Jars of Clay.
"Fade to Grey" and "Frail" were both previously from the group's debut demo recording Frail in 1994. All other tracks from that demo were recorded for the debut album Jars of Clay in 1995. Both songs were changed significantly, especially "Frail" which was previously an instrumental piece which now contained lyrics. Notably, these songs were two of the first songs written by Jars of Clay.
The album features the multi-instrumental Greg Wells, who went on to produce OneRepublic, Katy Perry, Pink, and Rufus Wainwright, who plays drums and bass guitar on almost every song and co-wrote "Tea And Sympathy" and the single "Crazy Times".
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