*1/2 Jars of Clay

IF I LEFT THE ZOO

(Essential)

Like recent grunge chart toppers Creed, Jars of Clay deal in that unlikely sort of pop double entendre that's often favored by the don't-call-us-Christian-rock set -- the kind where the singer makes it sound as if he were singing to his sweetie when he's actually professing his love for God. So your average heathen pop fan can sing along to radio fodder like "No One Loves Me like You" while Pentecostal pastors who know better play the same song at youth meetings in the name of ministry. Say what you want about Creed, but at the very least they're likely to lead a few skeptical would-be Christians to the adolescent saving graces of Metallica. Jars of Clay, however, lead sinners down the unholy path to Counting Crows, with whom they share a producer and a drummer. On If I Left the Zoo, they also share the Crows' healthy fixation with Big Star ("Can't Erase It"), but too much earnestness and acoustic guitar lead this band astray far too often. Only "I'm Alright," with its black gospel choir and Stones-y guitar raunch, has what it takes to get the congregation rocking.

-- Sean Richardson