The Long Fall Back to Earth

The Long Fall Back to Earth is the ninth full-length studio album from Jars of Clay. It was released on April 21, 2009 through Gray Matters and Essential Records.

Overview
The Long Fall Back to Earth is the first Jars of Clay album that doesn't include any cover songs since 2002's The Eleventh Hour. The Long Fall Back to Earth is their follow-up to the acclaimed Good Monsters album.

In mid-February, the band released the first single off the album, "Two Hands," with a mix of song clips on their website along with a pre-order package. The album came in at number 10 on the Jesus Freak Hideout most anticipated albums of 2009.

In late October, the second single, "Heaven", was released.

The album was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album" category.

Reception
AllMusic said that the album "sees the quartet adopting, in varying degrees, the electronic pop stylings of David Bowie, the Flaming Lips, and MGMT, partially furloughing their live rhythm section in favor of one inspired by the '80s", while JesusFreakHideout said that the album is a "lush collection of pop rock songs with an indie touch that proves to be a well-balanced and solid effort from start to finish" and that "The style of the album itself is - yet again, in true Jars of Clay fashion - a noticeable departure from the sound of their previous release, carrying with it a strong 80's synth-rock vibe."

Charts
The album peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Christian Albums.

Awards
In 2010, both the regular and limited edition of the album were nominated for a Dove Award for Recorded Music Packaging of the Year at the 41st GMA Dove Awards, with the limited edition winning the award. The album also won the award for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year, while the song "Two Hands" was also nominated for Song of the Year.

The Long Fall Back to Earth was also nominated Grammy Award for Best Pop Gospel Album of the Year.

Credits
Jars of Clay
 * Dan Haseltine – vocals
 * Charlie Lowell – acoustic piano, keyboards, synthesizers, organ, backing vocals
 * Stephen Mason – guitars, backing vocals
 * Matthew Odmark – guitars, backing vocals

Additional musicians
 * Gabe Ruschival – bass guitar, keyboard bass, percussion
 * Jeremy Lutito – drums, percussion, loops, sounds
 * Katie Herzig – backing vocals (7, 8)

Choir on "Weapons"
 * Jars of Clay, Ben Shive, Joshua V. Smith

Production


 * Jars of Clay – producers at Sputnik Sound, Nashville, Tennessee, art direction
 * Ron Aniello – producer (4, 5, 6, 11, 12)
 * Mitch Dane – engineer
 * Vance Powell – engineer (7, 8, 10, 13, 14)
 * Joshua V. Smith – assistant engineer
 * Jay Ruston – mixing at TRS West, Sherman Oaks, California
 * Stephen Marsh – mastering at Marsh Mastering, Los Angeles, California
 * Michelle Box – A&R production
 * Tim Parker – art direction
 * Kharyn Hill – photography
 * Brandy St. John – stylist
 * Denika Bedrossian – hair, make-up