Ever since the release of Jars of Clay's first self-titled album, fans have been eagerly awaiting another album. The four guys from Greenville College in Illinois finally got down to work and released their second album, "Much Afraid."

Produced by Sting-producer Steve Lipson, this album is a great follow-up to the self-titled one, but the two are quite different. If you liked the first, do not get too excited about the second. The first is more acoustically driven, and "Much Afraid" is more electrically based.

The members of Jars of Clay are born-again Christians, yet they do not consider themselves a Christian band. The lead singer, Dan Haseltine, said, "We sing about what we feel."

The lyrics on this album again are encouraging and spirit-filled, yet somehow they are deeper than the self-titled one. It is nice to see a band that talks about more than just petty relationships. Jars of Clay sings about life and how their religion affects them.

The album won the Grammy for "Best Contemporary Gospel Album." While the album was hardly a Gospel album, the guys seemed quite happy with the award. If you are looking for contemporary rock with an encouraging message, then "Much Afraid" is an album that you would enjoy. .