| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christianity Today | [2] |
| Cross Rhythms |  [3] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  [4] |
Who We Are Instead is the fifth full-length studio album recorded by Christian rock 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 influences apparent in some of the songs and the names of God and Jesus 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 or mandolin.
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, and the 1971 composition "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" by Gavin Bryars. 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
All tracks are written by Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason and Matt Odmark, unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sunny Days" | 3:30 | |
| 2. | "Amazing Grace" (featuring Ashley Cleveland) | 5:18 | |
| 3. | "Lonely People" (America cover) |
| 2:45 |
| 4. | "Only Alive" | 4:04 | |
| 5. | "Trouble Is" (featuring Kenny Meeks) |
| 3:50 |
| 6. | "Faith Enough" | 5:24 | |
| 7. | "Show You Love" | 3:33 | |
| 8. | "Lesser Things" | 4:36 | |
| 9. | "I'm in the Way" | 2:33 | |
| 10. | "Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet" (Gavin Bryars cover) | Gavin Bryars | 3:39 |
| 11. | "Jealous Kind" (featuring Ashley Cleveland) | 4:10 | |
| 12. | "Sing" | 4:11 | |
| 13. | "My Heavenly" | 3:29 | |
| Total length: | 51:02 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tonight" | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Shipwrecked" | 2:58 |
| Total length: | 57:42 | |
Charts
| Release Year | The Billboard 200 Chart Position |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 103 |
References
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Christianity Today review
- ^ Cummings, Tony (January 2004). "Jars of Clay - Who We Are Instead". Cross Rhythms (78).
- ^ Jesus Freak Hideout review