OK, I'm cheating a bit today because this is not an album, but it's an EP from one of my all-time favorite bands. In 2011, Jars of Clay had been playing music for over 15 years and had released 10 albums. On this EP, they recorded new versions of 5 songs from their previous albums, and they're definitely all different than the originals, but all just as good as the originals in their own way. My favorite thing is the version of "Crazy Times" sounds a bit more acoustic, and the guitar solo that is the bridge of the song seems to be performed by a keyboard, I think. (Or maybe it's a guitar with a keyboard-sounding effect on it? I'm not sure.) These interpretations are bit more keyboard-heavy, which is not a bad thing, though I do love guitars and there's still plenty of that here. In my opinion, it's always fun to hear a band do a new interpretation of a song. And Jars of Clay definitely don't disappoint in that area, as they've re-recorded many songs in acoustic, more electronic pop, or other variations over the years. Unfortunately, it looks like this EP is not available for streaming on Apple Music currently, though I guess you can buy it through iTunes for download. I, of course, have a CD copy of even this EP.

Release Year: 2011
Preview on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify