Jars of Clay's second album develops on themes introduced on its first. Layers of acoustic guitars and compelling vocal harmonies complement these explorations of loss, peace, and the search for spiritual wholeness in a fragmented society. "Crazy Times" welcomes the listener with a catchy, melancholy hook as "Fade to Grey," brimming with ambient rhythms, suggests emotional chaos: "And if you follow me you'll see all the black all the white fade to grey." "Weighed Down" opens with an echoed riff from the band's hit "Flood," but transforms quickly into a tense ballad. In the closing "Hymn," the band offers a modern prayer which manages to comfort without being cloying.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle.